Hunter's Moon
by scottspierce
Summary: BOOK TWO IN THE 'TOUCHED BY THE FEAR' SERIES TW Season 2 Hollis Griffin hoped that with the death of Peter Hale, the supernatural related drama would finally come to a close. But life in Beacon Hills has a funny way of doing the exact opposite of what one hopes for. As new threats arise, the McCall Pack is forced to form an unlikely alliance in order to save the day.
1. epigraph

❝she was not fragile like a flower;

she was fragile like a bomb.❞

**hunter's moon** 》i'll find a way to fix these broken pieces + let go

**I**• nightmare, halsey **2**• hesitate, the jonas brothers **3**• wonderland, natalia kills **4**• holy, pvris **5**• war of hearts, ruelle **6**• lionheart, demi lovato **7**• dream, imagine dragons **8**• run or hide, run river north **9**• it's about time, barcelona **10**• pretty girl, maggie lindemann **11**• teen idol, marina + the diamonds **12**• hold on, chord overstreet **13**• cherry, lana del rey **14**• you belong to me, cat pierce **15**• lie to me, 5 seconds of summer


	2. author's note

❝_the temptation to quit will be the greatest_

just before you are about to succeed❞

**hey. hi. hello.**

I know that it's been a while since I last posted something. If you have been following me for a while, you'll know that I went through a lot since last July. If you don't already know what happened, just check out my November post in '_Conversations_' on Wattpad for an update. Sorry, but I don't want to go into details over what happened or make this chapter about that.

In other news, Book Two of '_Touched by the Fear_' is coming to a computer / tablet screen near you very soon. I'm really excited to dive back into the world of _Teen Wolf_ as well as Hollis + Stiles. And I can't wait for you guys to see what I've come up with...hopefully you'll be happy. But, as always, I want your thoughts (comments, constructive criticisms, ideas, etc.) on everything I post. If there's anything that you want to see happen or you simply have ideas that you'd like to see be inserted into the story, please let me know! I might not include _everything_ but it's definitely possible I will include some things. I need inspiration, too! And without your feedback, I have no idea how I'm doing. So, please, show a little love.

With that said, I hope you guys stay tuned for the new chapters. I'll _try_ to post either once a week or every other week (either on Friday's or Sunday's - I'm not sure which one but, once I start a schedule, I'll let you guys know) but I can't promise anything. Life gets in the way.

Without further ado: don't forget to _follow _and _comment_.


	3. reap

❝Scott's a werewolf. The supernatural is real.❞

**Hollis Griffin** has been through hell and back. The night of the fatal accident was only the tipping point of just how much her life would change. The loss of her parents brought the unexpected return of her biological dad, who she wanted nothing to do with. And with good reason. She couldn't overlook the fact that he walked out on their family six years ago and then returned as if nothing happened, trying to pick up where he left off. To say that their relationship was rocky was an understatement, and it took a while for them to fix their father/daughter relationship. However, Grant Griffin had his own skeletons that he tried to hide and those would be the ones that would tear their already broken relationship even further.

Dealing with the loss of her parents and her dad's return, Hollis withdrew into herself. She wasn't ready to face the world but who would be after all that she had gone through? Lydia Martin was her rock throughout it all. While Lydia gently coaxed her into moving forward with her life, Carter Reese was a different story. Her boyfriend of two years, he had stood by patiently when everything first went down. As time went on and the summer came to a close, he grew impatient with Hollis. At one point, he called her grieving a "burden". Though he tried to take it back, Hollis wasn't willing to look the other way. Not again.

As the new school year began, Hollis befriended Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski. Little did she know that her already complicated life would turn even more complicated because of that friendship. When Scott first turned, Stiles did everything he could to protect Hollis. To keep her from the dangers of the supernatural world. But Hollis refused to be lied to, instead growing angry at him for constantly keeping her in the dark and covering up the truth with ridiculous lies. Ironically, it was Jackson Whittemore who told her the truth about Scott and the so-called mountain lion that was on the loose.

The truth (and the fact that Stiles kept it from her) broke their growing relationship. But not for long. Hollis soon forgave him under one condition: that she be allowed to help. With her new knowledge, she dove into the supernatural world of Beacon Hills. Slowly, she learned about werewolves and that led to her discovery about the Hale Fire from ten years ago. After meeting face-to-face with Peter Hale, she learned the grim truth about her dad; from is friendship with Peter to his betrayal, which led to the fire and the many deaths of the Hale family members.

Grant reluctantly filled her in on the rest of his past, clearly ashamed of the part he played. Because of his past, he prohibited her from being involved in the supernatural but Hollis refused to abandon her friends. Through all of Peter's threats, she did her best to help Scott and Stiles keep Lydia, Allison Argent and even Jackson safe. It was difficult, as she had to lie to her best friends the same way that she was lied to. It was hypocritical but she wanted them as far away from this life as possible.

The Winter Formal quickly approached, and it was hard for Hollis to believe how fast the semester went by. With the dangers they had faced, it was supposed to be the one night where their life was normal. But, of course, that was short-lived. Not only did Peter's sudden appearance pose a threat to her friends but the night ended with Lydia being attacked.

With Lydia in the hospital, Hollis went with Stiles and Jackson to stop Peter from hurting anyone else. Though it was challenging, they were able to defeat him with the help of Scott, Allison and Derek. The cure that Scott had been longing for was right in front of him. All he had to do was kill Peter, and he would no longer be cursed with being a werewolf. Hollis thought that all their problems would finally be over. However, Derek's desire to be an Alpha outweighed Scott being cured and he quickly ended Peter's life himself.

The horrors of the night over and Scott stuck being a werewolf, Lydia remained their main priority. Though her wounds weren't fatal, they were serious. Did it mean she would become a werewolf or would she wake up oblivious to what happened?

• • • **STAY TUNED** • • •

**hey. hi. hello.**

What you read above was a very basic recap of Touched by the Fear. If you haven't already read that book, I assure you that it's a lot better than the drabble I threw together. And if you haven't already read book one, I highly recommend you go read it or you will be slightly confused going onward. My update schedule will _most likely_ be Wednesdays but don't hold me to that because life is crazy at the moment.

Like always, don't forget to hit the little sign on the top right to vote and please leave your comment down below. So, without further ado, let's dive into Hunter's Moon!


	4. 1

Their lives should have returned to normal after the events of Friday night. The big, bad wolf had been defeated by none other than Derek Hale, and Kate Argent was officially gone from their lives. Beacon Hills was once again a safe town. At least that's how it _should_ have been but as Hollis Griffin stared at the empty hospital room in disbelief, she knew that "normal" would never be an adjective used to describe her life. Or that of her friends' lives.

She shook her head as a heavy sigh escaped her lips. How Lydia Martin simply vanished into thin air, in a busy hospital nonetheless, was a mystery to everyone. Herself included. Tentatively, Hollis took a step forward into the room. Her eyes took in the rumpled bed, the half-open bathroom door with the light peaking out and the window, where the afternoon was turning to dusk.

"Where are you, Lyd?" Hollis whispered softly.

"We'll find her," a voice said to her right, jostling her out of her worried mind.

Stiles smiled reassuringly, easing some of the doubt from her mind. They had been through much worse and, together, they had made it to the other side. If the last few weeks were any indication of anything, it was that. Still, her best friend was gone without a trace, and she worried for her safety as Lydia had already been injured once before.

"I know but...," she trailed off, a frown on her face as her eyes took in the room once more. "I just don't get how this happened. Lydia was _right_ here a few hours ago. She was fine when I left her. How is this possible?"

Stiles shrugged in reply, just as confused. "That's what we're trying to figure out. All anyone knows is that she left through the window."

Her eyes flickered to the glass, which she now noticed was open a crack. The chilly air breezed in, sending an involuntary shiver through her. She pulled her jacket tighter around her as if for protection and reassurance but it did little to make her feel better. She turned towards Stiles, concern flickering across her face as a thought entered her mind.

"How do we know she just left? Wh-what if someone took her?" She voiced her worry and glanced at Stiles to see a series of emotions pass his face. "Or something." The last word was a whisper, a shiver passing over her at the possibility of new danger lurking in the shadows.

He shook his head, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Peter's gone, Hollis. It's over. Nothing can hurt her," he explained soothingly. "Maybe she got sick of the hospital and decided to check herself out."

Hollis considered his words but doubt seeped in at his explanation.

"Knowing Lydia, she's probably maxing out her credit card at the mall right now," he added with a smile.

"I - I don't know." Hollis sucked in a deep breath then let it out slowly. "But there's one way to find out," she added as an idea washed over her. Pulling her grasp free, she dug her phone out of her pocket then dialed Lydia's number. _Please answer,_ she thought repetitively asthe line rang once before a soft, tinkling melody filled the small room.

Hollis glanced in the general direction of the sound and dread settled into her stomach as she walked towards the beside table. The ringing grew louder as she opened the drawer, and she stared at the glowing screen with her name displayed across it. With a frustrated sigh, she grabbed the phone and ended the call. She stood there silently, unmoving.

Stiles took a step towards her though his own steps were uneasy. "It'll be okay. This doesn't mean anything bad happened."

Hollis whirled around, the panic engulfing her as his words sunk in. "Yes, it does! Lydia wouldn't leave without her phone. Not willingly, anyway."

"We'll find her, Hollis. I promise," Stiles said calmly in hopes of diminishing the panic that settled around them. "Look, my dad's already on the case. He's got this."

Hollis nodded though the words did little to faze her. Instead, she focused on the horrible turn of events. What should have been a happily ever after only turned into a continuation of the same nightmare. Though she tried to remain positive, it was a hard task if not an impossible one. Life seemed to play a cruel game of give and take these last few weeks, and any shred of hope she grasped at was quickly taken away.

"Any news?" Stiles asked, causing Hollis to pull herself out of her thoughts. She turned to see the Sheriff enter the room and, instinctively, she hid Lydia's phone in her pocket.

Sheriff Stilinski shook his head, raking a hand through his hair. "There are no witnesses, nothing. It's like the girl disappeared into thin air." He let out a heavy sigh before his eyes fell on Hollis. "I'm glad I caught you, though, Hollis. You visited Lydia earlier today, right?"

"Yeah, but only for like an hour or so," she answered.

"That's okay, I'd still like to -"

"Dad, no." Stiles stepped between them, shaking his head repeatedly. "Y-you can't think... You're wrong if you think Hollis had anything to do with Lydia disappearing."

The Sheriff pinched the bridge of his nose as Stiles rambled on. He tried to get a word in between but that proved itself a difficult thing to do. "St-Stiles... Stiles!" He raised his voice, managing to quiet him down for a second. Long enough to speak. "I know that. I just need to ask her a couple of questions. Can I do that? Can I do my job? Will you let me do that, please?"

"Oh. R-right." Sheepish, Stiles nodded slowly. "Yeah, yeah. I'll just be...," he gestured towards the hallway and nodded some more. "There. If you need me, I'll be right there. You know, waiting." With one final nod, he left the room and immediately it felt a dozen times quieter and less chaotic.

"I don't know how you put up with him." The Sheriff chuckled with a shake of his head, making her smile. "Anyway," he said, his tone turning professional as he glanced down at his notes. "Did Lydia seem different? Did she say anything odd? Was anything off when you visited her?"

The Sheriff fired questions at her, all to which Hollis shook her head. "No, nothing. She was fine. There wasn't - She was okay before I left. I even told her I would visit later and..." Hollis trailed off with a sigh. She strained to think back to a few hours ago, to remember if anything had, in fact, been off but there wasn't. "Lydia was Lydia."

"She didn't mention wanting to leave?" He questioned after a moment of jotting down notes.

"Of course she wanted to leave," Hollis said then quickly added, "But she wouldn't just leave. Not like this."

Sheriff Stilinski nodded in understanding though a worried look rested permanently on his face. He looked exhausted, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. As if Lydia's life was in his hands. In a way, it was.

"Alright," he said, putting his notebook away. "That helped, Hollis. Thanks."

"No, it didn't," Hollis said with a defeated sigh. "Nothing I said or remembered was any help. You and I both know it. I-I didn't remember anything important. I didn't give you anymore information than you didn't already know."

The Sheriff placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You did your part. Just because you didn't remember anything vital doesn't mean you weren't helpful."

"Sure," Hollis muttered, rolling her eyes. "If I hadn't left her alone, if I had stayed here instead of going home then maybe she..."

"No," Sheriff Stilinski said firmly. "Hollis, this isn't your fault. Do you understand me? You didn't know this would happen."

Hollis sighed. "Yeah, but..." She let the sentence hang, trying to push the guilt down but it rose to the surface despite her efforts. Taking a deep breath, she let it and her thoughts out slowly. "I left Lydia alone. _Twice_. And both times, something bad happened to her."

"It was an accident, that's all. You need to stop blaming yourself for everything bad that happens, kiddo."

She nodded, knowing he was right but her doubts remained. Lately, it felt like bad things seemed to gravitate towards her and envelope everything and everyone around her. It was difficult to believe that she wasn't to blame for this, even if partially.

The Sheriff smiled down at her before looking past her, a bemused expression gracing his face.

Hollis followed his line of sight to where Stiles hovered just outside of the room. He tried to appear as inconspicuous as possible but desperately failed with each step that he took.

"I thought you said you would wait in the waiting room until we finished," the Sheriff said, causing Stiles to stop mid-step.

"Yeah, I am," Stiles said, taking a step forward. "I-I mean, I was, but I was just... Are you two done yet?" Stiles asked, looking between Hollis and his dad.

Sheriff Stilinski nodded. "Yeah, I got what I need, so it's..." he trailed off when Nurse McCall called to him, and he held up a finger for her to give them a minute. "I'll get a search party together and have them start searching tonight. But I want the both of you home, got it? No wandering the woods or conducting a search of your own. Leave this to us."

Stiles nodded firmly, which the Sheriff strongly regarded with distrust.

"I mean it, Stiles. Home." With that, he walked towards Nurse McCall. "You checked the whole hospital?"

"Every last corner," Nurse McCall replied, the rest of her answer drowned out as they disappeared down the hallway.

Hollis sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Despite all of the Sheriff's reassurances that she wasn't to blame for this and that Lydia would be found, she continued to feel hopeless. Helpless. From all of the questions thrown her way, she didn't remember anything. Not one single detail that could help the investigation. Perhaps it was because nothing out of the ordinary had occurred but that did little to comfort her as Lydia was still out there. Alone.

"So." Hands stuffed in his pockets, Stiles looked towards her after breaking the silence. "How did my dad's interrogation go?"  
"It wasn't an interrogation," Hollis answered with a shake of her head. "He just had a couple of questions about the last time that I saw Lydia. But, of course, I didn't remember anything." Frowning, she averted his gaze and instead took in the abandoned room.

Stiles studied her for a moment. It didn't take long for him to realize how she felt, what she thought. "Are you seriously blaming yourself for what happened? Hollis, it's _not_ your fault. Crap happens but," he smiled reassuringly, "we'll find her, okay? Y-you heard my dad before, he's got this. The entire police force is on it, and they'll find Lydia."

"And we're just supposed to sit back and wait, right?" She asked with a scoff then shook her head. "We - _I _\- should be out there looking for her, Stiles. I can't sit at home and pretend that everything's normal."

"Who said anything about going home?" Stiles asked with a mischievous smile.

"Really?" Hollis asked, holding her breath for the fear of letting her hopes up. "You're going to help? I-I mean, I figured that -"

"I would let you look for Lydia by yourself?" Stiles asked in disbelief and, when she nodded, he shook his head. "Come on, Hollis. We're in this together. There's no way I'm letting you look for her alone. Besides, Lydia's my friend, too, whether she wants to admit it or not."

A smile stretched across her face for the first time in the past hour. "Thank you," she said quietly, relief washing over her at the thought of not being in this alone. She closed the distance between them then threw her arms around him.

"You never have to thank me." Stiles laughed but tightened his hold on her, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Smile in place, Hollis looked up at him. "So, what's the plan? There is a plan, right?"

For a moment, he looked offended though a smile tugged at his lips. "Of course there's a plan!"

"Okay, good." Hollis waited to hear what this so-called plan was but, when a few seconds went by in silence, she asked,"Well?"

"Well what?" Stiles asked, perplexed.

Hollis blinked up at him. "The plan? What is it?"

"Oh, r-right," he said with a definite nod. "I talked to Scott while you were talking with my dad, and he said he can help find her."

For a moment, Hollis questioned whether the plan would be a good one. Knowing Stiles, you never knew what his definition of 'good' or 'plan' would be. But it seemed plausible, hopeful even. "You mean like track her down?"

"Yeah. He just needs the hospital gown she was wearing before she disappeared."

Gazing over her shoulder, her eyes scanned the room and all that it contained for the gown but it was nowhere in sight. "It's gotta be here somewhere," she muttered, breaking free from the hug.

Stiles looked around as well but his unchanged expression let her know that he hadn't found it either. "Bathroom?" He suggested with a shrug.

"It's possible." Hollis walked towards the bathroom where puddles from an unfinished shower covered the tiled floor. A soft sigh escaped her lips, wondering what made Lydia decide to leave. Or who. A chill passed through her but she pushed the dark thoughts to the recesses of her mind. She refused to let those thoughts distract her from finding her best friend. Out of the corner of her eye, the gown rested haphazardly on the sink. She sidestepped the puddles then shoved the gown into her bag.

"Did you get it?" Stiles asked when she stepped back out into the room.

"Yeah," she said and patted the bag. "Will this work? I mean, will Scott really be able to track her down?"

"Scott thinks he will. Technically, he's never done this before," Stiles caught the worried look on her face and continued, "but it doesn't mean he won't be able to."

Hollis nodded, forcing herself to believe that this will work. As of right now, it was the only plan they had.

Together, they exited the room and turned down the hallway. A group of police and doctors converged in the open space, deep in conversation. From their urgent tones, Hollis could only guess that their topic of conversation was Lydia. Her suspicions turned out to be correct as they neared them and parts of the conversation reached her ears.

"... Get an A-P-B out for a sixteen-year-old redhead," Sheriff Stilinski addressed the crowd. "Any other descriptors?"

"Yeah, we can probably help with that," Stiles spoke up, causing the group to turn as one towards the eavesdroppers.

Sheriff Stilinski sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for the second time that night. "What are you two still doing here?"

"Providing moral support?" Stiles answered with a grin but his comment wasn't appreciated.

"How about you provide your ass back home where you should be?" Sheriff Stilinski told him. "And, for the love of all things that are good, get Hollis home. Now"

"Uh, yeah, I-I can do that, too." Stiles nodded then took hold of her hand and quickly pulled her away from the crowd.

"We're still doing this right?" Hollis whispered once they were out of earshot.

"Yeah, of course. Scott's probably already waiting for us."

**— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —**

The night air was cool when the duo pushed through the double doors of the hospital that led out to the parking lot. A light but chilly breeze picked up, causing her worry for Lydia to grow. If the haphazard way that her best friend had left the hospital room was any indication, it was that she wasn't dressed for the cold temperatures of nighttime in Beacon Hills. Rather than freeze up from her worries, it only made her more determined to find Lydia. And fast. Shivering, Hollis walked with Stiles through the neat maze of parked cars. When they neared the powder blue Jeep that was all too familiar to Hollis, Scott was already waiting.

After a quick greeting, they piled into the car; Stiles and Scott in the front with Hollis in the back. No sooner than she closed the door did Scott turn around to face her. "Did you get it?"

Hollis reached into her bag and pulled out the crumpled hospital gown.

"This is the one she was just wearing?" Scott turned the fabric around in his hand.

"Yeah, that's the one," Hollis said but her eyes remained on the gown, frozen on the dried blood stains. It was from the wound that refused to heal, which presented to be another problem.

Scott followed her frown. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt her. Not again."

Hollis nodded to his words. "Will this work? I mean, you can track her right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Scott said though hesitantly. "I-I've never done this but there's no reason I can't, right?" He stammered.

"Just shove the thing in your face and let's find her." Stiles started the car, ready to put the car in reverse.

"Wait!" She yelled.

Startled at her outburst, Scott and Stiles regarded her with mild curiosity. Without a word, she pointed towards the windshield where someone stood illuminated in the headlights.

"Is that Allison?" Stiles squinted.

"I think so." Hollis moved forward in the seat to get a better look.

Scott rolled down the window when Allison rushed to the passenger side of the Jeep. "What are you doing? Someone's going to see us - "

"I don't care. She's my best friend. And we need to find her before they do," Allison blurted, cutting him off.

"I can find her before the cops," Scott told her.

"How about before my father does?" Allison countered, aiming the question at all three of them.

"He knows?" Hollis asked, paling at the thought of Chris Argent being on the hunt for their best friend.

Allison nodded then said, "I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUV's."

"A search party," Scott said, a little too hopeful.

"More like a hunting party," Allison said with a frown.

They all exchanged a worried look, the same thought going through their minds. If Mr. Argent found Lydia, there was no telling what he'd do. Hollis doubted he would show mercy, especially not after he had let Scott go.

"We have to find her first, you guys," Hollis said.

Stiles must have agreed because the doors unlocked with a soft _click_.

"Get in," Scott said, pushing the door open a moment later.

Hollis moved over as Allison scrambled into the back seat. No sooner had the door shut then Stiles pulled out of the parking lot. Everyone remained quiet, presumably lost in their own thoughts, while they drove further from the hospital until it was nothing but a dot in the darkening background. The worry consumed them but it was Hollis' mind that wouldn't turn off. She tried to quiet the thoughts with hopeful ones but they latched on and refused to leave.

"I thought we said she wouldn't turn," Hollis spoke up after a few minutes passed.

Scott and Stiles exchanged a nervous glance, an unspoken conversation between them.

"We did," Scott said slowly with unease.

"So, what the hell is going on?" She asked, voicing the question that was on everyone's mind. "She didn't heal, which means she's not a werewolf so -"

"Maybe she's something else," Stiles suggested with a glance at her through the rearview mirror.

"Like what?" Hollis ran a hand through her hair. What other supernatural creatures could there be? She had enough of a hard time processing werewolves, let alone anything else. With a deep sigh, she turned towards Allison. "Ally, any ideas?"

"I'm not sure," Allison said with a shake of her head. "I literally just found out about all of this. But my family only hunts werewolves so...," she trailed off with a shrug.

The unanswered question hung in the air like a dark veil. Hollis refocused her attention on the road ahead but all she saw was darkness. The headlights, although they illuminated the road, offered little in the way of visual. Ironically, the outdoors matched the mood of the group inside: dark and gloomy.

"Let's say she is turning," Stiles started with a glance in the rear view mirror, "If she's turning, would they actually kill her?"

Hollis turned to Allison for confirmation but she shrugged.

"I don't know. They haven't been telling me anything. All they say is we'll talk after Kate's funeral when the others get here," Allison said.

"Great," Hollis said with a sigh. A moment passed before she fully processed her friends words. "Wait, what others?"

"They won't tell me that either," Allison admitted with a frown.

"Okay, your family has some serious communication issues to work on," Stiles stated, and Hollis nodded in agreement. He glanced in Scott's direction, who had his head out the window. "Scott? We going the right way?"

Scott sniffed the air, trying to lock onto a scent that only he could sense. "Take the next right!"

Each turn took them further from town. The lack of signs provided little regarding where they were or where they were going. They followed Scott's directions for several more minutes before he told them to stop.

"Where are we?" Hollis asked when she stepped out of the car and into the darkness of the unknown. Already shivering from the cold, she zipped her jacket higher and crossed her arms in hopes of keeping warm.

"Not sure," Scott mumbled, ignoring their reaction. "I'm just following the scent. I'm not a GPS."

Hollis smiled apologetically as she took in the woods that surrounded them.

"This way." Scott pointed with certainty.

The four of them walked in utter silence save for the occasional sounds of nature. The short walk felt more like a four mile trek through the woods before a dark shape came into view. It loomed over them but upon closer inspection, they were able to determine it was the burned out and rotted skeleton of the Hale House. The only semblance of color was the yellow police tape that stretched across the windows and door.

"She came here? You're sure?" Stiles asked skeptically.

"This is where the scent leads," Scott answered with a shrug.

"But has Lydia ever been here?" Stiles asked.

"I don't...I doubt it," Hollis answered. The last time Lydia stepped foot into the woods was with Allison and herself and even that had been against her will.

"Maybe she came here on instinct. Like she was looking for Derek," Allison suggested.

"You mean looking for an Alpha," Scott said.

Allison nodded. "Wolves need a pack, right?"

"Not all of them," Scott said.

"But would she be drawn to an Alpha?" Hollis tore her gaze from the house. "Is that an instinct? To be part of a pack?"

Scott nodded to her words. "We're stronger in a pack."

"Like strength in numbers?" Hollis asked.

"No. Like literally stronger. Faster. Better. In every way," Scott answered.

"Is it the same for an Alpha?" Allison questioned.

Scott nodded. "It'll make Derek stronger, too."

"So, we should just talk to Derek then," Hollis suggested then started towards the house but Scott blocked her path. She tried to walk around him but his reflexes stopped her each time. "Scott."

"Hollis," he said, not letting her pass.

She tried to dodge him but each attempt was a failure. "Can you please move?"

"He's not in there, Hollis," Scott said, causing her to stop. "And neither is Lydia. She was but not anymore."

"We'll find her," Allison spoke up encouragingly and Scott nodded in agreement.

She offered them a small smile but it didn't reach her eyes. The little hope she felt earlier vanished, and they were no closer to finding Lydia.

"Hey, look at this." Stiles waved them over as he knelt on the leaf covered ground.

Hollis followed his line of sight but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She exchanged a shrug with Allison, who also seemed perplexed but his non-existent discovery. Curiosity got the best of her, though, and she stepped closer to where Stiles was.

"You see this?" He glanced up when they stopped beside him.

"What? The dirt? The leaves? Yeah, I see that," Hollis said.

Stiles glared at her. "I'm talking about _this_." He then lifted a thin wire that stretched between two trees. "I think it's a tripwire."

"Weird. " Hollis said, though she wasn't as interested in the discovery as Stiles. "Does it do anything?"

Stiles shrugged and pulled on the wire. The three of them stared at it, expecting something to happen. When it didn't, disappointment passed between the three of them.

A moment later, a sound sliced through the air and pulled Hollis' attention from the ground. She turned just as Scott got yanked off of his feet. Her eyes widened at the sight but a small laugh escaped her lips. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing at the ridiculous sight.

"Uhm, you guys," Hollis said at the same time that Scott said, "Stiles..."

Scott swung by one foot, his head a couple of feet off the ground.

"Yeah, buddy..." Stiles turned around and froze. "Oh."

Allison and Stiles both burst out in a fit of laughter and Hollis joined in.

"Very funny," Scott said as he swung from a tight cord. "But next time you see a tripwire? Don't trip it."

Stiles nodded. "Noted. But, just so you know, it was all Hollis' idea."

Hollis shoved him playfully but he only stumbled and laughed. "Hey, you're the one who pulled it."

"But you're the one who wanted to find out what it did," Stiles pointed out.

Hollis glared at him yet a smile appeared on her face. "We should help him down."

The three of them approached Scott with smiles on their faces, shaking their heads in amusement.

"Wait." Scott stopped them mid-step.

"Why? You want to just hang there all night?" Hollis asked jokingly but his serious expression, even from upside down, caused her smile to waver.

"Someone's coming. Hide," Scott warned them and, when they didn't move, he yelled, "Go!"

Hollis glanced into the shadows. "Are you-" She started but didn't have time to finish her question. Stiles pulled her away just as a few figures appeared.

Argent and his hunters moved stealthily from the shadows. They stopped before Scott who hung by the tripwire and spoke quietly. Their hushed whispers didn't reach Hollis and the others.

"My dad won't hurt him," Allison reassured her. "He promised he wouldn't. He's only looking for Lydia."

"And what's he going to do to Lydia once he finds her?" She demanded, shaking her head. "We need to find out what they're saying."

Stiles just shook his head and tightened his hold on her to prevent her from moving. He ignored the look she threw him and pulled her behind him.

The lack of gunfire and yelling settled their nerves some, though Hollis still remained on edge. Dogs barked off in the distance and shattered the silence that engulfed them all. Hollis jumped from the sudden noise and peeked out from behind Stiles to see flashlight beams as they bobbed in between the trees. The barking sounded closer but there was no telling just how close.

Argent and his men spoke quietly for a few more seconds before they left Scott hanging in the tree.

"They're leaving," Hollis breathed.

They waited a few more seconds then walked towards Scott.

"You okay?" Allison asked as she rushed over to him.

Scott nodded or at least tried to, considering he was still upside down and hanging from a wire. "Just another life-threatening conversation with your dad."

"We need to get him down," Hollis said.

"Stiles, help me with this." Allison tugged at the solid line around the tree.

Before either of them could move, the sound of claws unsheathing sounded, and the cord tied to Scott's leg snapped. He dropped to his feet unsteadily but with a smile.

"Thanks. But I think I got it," Scott said.

"Impressive," Hollis said with a smile. "So, what did Allison's dad say?"

Scott started but stopped. Behind them, the flashlight beams were more prominent. "I'll tell you later. We need to go." He looked over his shoulder. "You coming?"

Once again, they followed Scott as they retraced their steps from before. Leaves rustled and branches snapped as they navigated the dark forest. Hollis lost her balance a couple times, unable to move with the stealth that Scott possessed. Within a matter of minutes, they reached the Jeep and left the Hale House and the two search parties behind.

When they had distanced themselves from the woods, Hollis spoke up. "So are you going to tell us what he said?"

Scott considered his words. "He said... Argent told me that if Lydia's turning, he won't let her get away."

Argent's threat weighed on them all. A difficult situation turned even more difficult by it. Fear for their friend kept the four of them quiet and lost in their thoughts.

"So, what's our plan?" Hollis spoke up again, breaking the silence. She turned towards the backseat where Scott sat with Allison. "Scott?"

Scott snapped out of his thoughts. "What?"

"What now?" Hollis repeated.

"I-I don't know," he admitted with a shrug.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Allison asked.

"I mean, I don't know. Lydia's trail ended back there. I have no clue where she went next," Scott stuttered.

"Can't you try to track her down again?" Stiles tore his eyes away from the road to the rear view mirror.

"I guess I can try," Scott said uncertainly. "Do you still have the -"

Before Scott finished, Hollis handed him the gown.

He sniffed the fabric then stuck his head back out the window. The wind whistled for a few seconds but then the window closed, and Scott returned to find everyone staring at him. "It didn't work. Sorry."

Just like that, her hope deflated. Again. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat. It was hard to accept that her friend was out there somewhere and with no way to track her.

"I'm sorry, I tried," Scott added.

Hollis opened her eyes at those words. "Well, try harder," she demanded. "Please."

Scott seemed doubtful but nodded. The chill of the air re-entered the Jeep for the second time but it was only a matter of seconds before Scott pulled back into his seat and shook his head. "There's nothing. I'm sorry but I-I can't find her."

"Can't or won't?" She asked with a frustrated sigh. "Maybe this is exactly what you wanted."

"What are you talking about?" Scott asked, perplexed by her accusation.

"Think about, Scott. If Argent finds Lydia, you're in the clear. He'll leave you alone just like he promised. But if you interfere, maybe he won't have a choice but to go after you again."

"Wha - No, that's n-not," Scott sputtered but Hollis continued, undeterred by his words.

"For someone who claims to care about everyone, you sure do put your own safety first."

"Hollis." Stiles put a hand on hers to draw her attention but she shrugged him off.

"I just...," she trailed off, sighing. "I don't get it. You tracked Lydia from the hospital to the Hale House. It honestly can't be that hard if you did it before," she argued. All the anger and frustration that she held inside surfaced and was misdirected at her friends, mainly Scott.

"It's not Scott's fault. He's trying," Stiles said calmly.

"Well, it's not good enough." Hollis then glanced at Stiles and tilted her head. "Ok, don't...look at me like that, Stiles."

"Scott wants to find her," Stiles said, then added, "We all do."

Hollis ran a hand through her hair, pulling at the tangles in hopes of unraveling her own thoughts at the same time. "Look, all I'm saying is that Scott got a 'get-out-of-jail-free' card. Argent let him go because Ali begged him to but Lydia doesn't have that. So, if the hunters find her before we do...," she trailed off.

"That's not fair, Hollis," Allison piped up.

"No, it's not," she agreed. "I just don't get why you won't track her."

"It's not because I don't want to," Scott said slowly, cautiously.. "It's because I'm still new to this, Hollis. This isn't... I can't just turn it on."

Deep down, Hollis knew that Scott didn't want to abandon Lydia; that he wouldn't abandon her. But her anger needed to be directed somewhere and, unfortunately, Scott was her target. "Okay, but you promised you could help find her. Just trying isn't good enough. It won't help us help Lydia."

"I-I'm sorry. But Derek didn't exactly have time to teach me everything. There's still a lot I need to learn. It's not like I have an instruction manual to read from either."

Hollis opened her mouth to speak but Stiles took hold of her hand, refusing to let go even when she tried to shake him off. She turned to him, already aware of what he would say before he even said it.

"Ease up a little, okay?" He laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

Hollis nodded and tried to swallow the anger but it proved to be difficult. It overpowered the worry. Though she knew lashing out on her friends was unfair, it kept her from going insane. Still, her words had hurt the people closest to her, and she hated herself for it. She took a deep breath.

"You're right, sorry," she whispered, then looked over her shoulder at Scott. "I mean it, Scott, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said before. You're only trying to help, and I acted like a jerk."

"Don't worry about it," Scott told her with a reassuring smile.

**— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —**

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Stiles asked after they dropped Scott and Allison off.

"You know what," she answered matter-of-factly. "I'm just worried about Lydia."

"Yeah, and so are we," Stiles said, "but I don't think that's why you went into super freak out mode before. So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Hollis shrugged, shaking her head. "There's nothing else to tell."

Unconvinced, he nodded. "Yeah, okay."

The sarcasm in his words didn't go unnoticed by Hollis. With a long sigh, she rested her head against the seat and remained quiet for a few seconds. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. There was so much that she wanted to say but didn't know where to start or _how_ to start.

"You know you can tell me anything," he told her gently as if having just read her thoughts.

"What do you want to tell you, Stiles?" Hollis glanced at him but he waited patiently, giving her the much needed space for her to gather her thoughts. "Do you want me to tell you that I feel helpless because I can't help my best friend? Or so guilty that I can hardly breathe? Because I do, okay?"

At her confession, he frowned and reached for her hand. "You can't - It's not your fault, Hollis."

It was the third time that day that those words were directed at her.

"But what if it is?" She shrugged, blinking back the tears. "What if all of this is happening because of what my dad did to the Hale's? Like some kind of twisted karma that affects me and everyone I care about." Angrily, she brushed away one of the tears but didn't stop. Once the words started to escape her lips, she couldn't hold them back. "Or maybe it's because I refused to help Peter. I mean, he told me he'd hurt someone if I didn't. He attacked Lydia a-and I know he's gone but now she's missing." Hollis took a breath then let it out slowly. "So, yeah, it all kind of feels like it's my fault."

"It's _no_t," he reassured her. "Look, we all feel like crap about this. Scott's mad because he couldn't protect her. Allison's own family is hunting her best friend, and I didn't do much to help either. If I told Peter how to find Derek sooner, this wouldn't be happening."

Hollis tilted her head to the side. "It's not your fault," she said, voicing the same words that have been said to her that day.

"Exactly." Stiles chuckled at the irony of her words. "So, you can't think this is all your fault because it's not."

She nodded with a soft smile. "Right, okay. And...I'm sorry. For turning into a complete monster earlier."

"You already apologized for that. You know, before," Stiles told her, offering a smile that showed her he wasn't angry.

"Yeah, but... I didn't exactly mean it," she admitted sheepishly.

Stiles shook his head with a laugh. "Well, apology accepted. Again."

The tension evaporated along with the weight that she had been carrying around. She felt lighter, a bit better though the worrisome thoughts remained. Hollis knew it wouldn't go away, not entirely, but having gotten all of that off of her mind eased the worry some. However, as each new thought crept into her mind, her smile started to falter.

Stiles noticed because he squeezed her hand, offering support. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

Hollis forced a smile. "I-I know but I wish we could've looked more. It just doesn't feel like we did enough."

"But we did what we could." Stiles studied her, watching as the dark thoughts floated through her mind. "I don't want you to think we're giving up. Because we're not. Giving up, I mean," he told her. "Besides, my dad's still out there with the whole police force looking for her."

"And so is Argent with the rest of the hunters," she countered with a frown.

"Hollis..." Stiles said.

She nodded, letting out a sigh. "I know, okay? I'm just on a negative streak tonight."

"Yeah, you really are," Stiles agreed with a nod.

Hollis rolled her eyes, but a smile broke through her frown. She remained quiet, which was enough of an opening for those thoughts to re-enter her mind. Though the negativity continued, a light shed on an idea. It was not a good idea, let alone a safe one, but it distracted her enough for a shred of hope to fill her. The more she thought on it, the more it made sense.

"I'm going to get home," Hollis blurted, sitting up in her seat.

"You-you sure? Are you going to be okay?" Stiles asked, surprised at her sudden desire to leave.

"Yeah, yeah, definitely," she answered.

Through narrowed eyes, he studied her. "What are you up to?"

Hollis reigned in the stammer that threatened to leave her lips. "Not-nothing. I'm not up to anything." She could tell that he didn't believe her. Her lack of lying skills hurt right now so she put on her best, innocent smile. She tilted her head to the side and she rolled her eyes. "I swear, Stiles. I'm just going home. This whole day drained me, and I really just need to get some rest."

**— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —**

Hollis wasn't going home. In fact, she was headed in the direction opposite of home. Nervously, she tapped the steering wheel while she followed the twists and turns of the road. Her heartbeat sped up and her head screamed for her to turn around. But she came too far to quit now. Tonight, giving up wasn't a part of her vocabulary despite how anxious this un-thought out plan was. With a shaky breath, she focused on the road ahead.

Minutes later, she pulled onto the gravel road that served as a small parking lot. Rocks crunched underneath the tires as she slowed to a stop. The headlights illuminated the gated entrance to the Beacon Hills Preserve, and she sat staring at it. The dense forest beyond both beckoned to her and warned her to stay away. But it was too late to turn back now. She was here and needed to follow through with her plan. She pushed the fear that inched its way to the front and shut the car off before stepping out into the much cooler night.

_This is such a bad idea_, Hollis thought.

"You can do this," she said to herself as she pocketed her keys. She ducked under the chain that served as a fence. Leaves and twigs crunched with each step, sounding far louder than it actually was. When it became too dark to see, Hollis switched the flashlight on her phone. It provided very little light but it was better than going in blind.

Hollis walked deeper into the preserve and remembered her last solo visit back before she was aware of what lurked in the shadows. Now she was cautious as she put one foot in front of the other. With each sound magnified, she glanced behind her more times than she could count.

The lack of a path proved difficult to navigate, and the small beam of light did little to help. Her boots caught on roots and slipped on rocks but she continued to walk deeper into the forest. It didn't deter her from the task at hand. Whether she was being stupid or brave, she had to do this.

"Almost there... I think," she mumbled, taking a moment to catch her breath.

Wings flapped overhead and broke the silence. Her heart beat even faster from the sudden noise. Hollis laughed to herself at how jumpy she was. As her laugh died, the sensation that she was being watched crept up on her. A chill crawled up her spine and stifled the good humor, replacing it with the familiar feeling of terror. Hollis glanced behind her for the umpteenth time but saw little save for trees and bushes. It was still and quiet as she searched the space behind her.

_It's just a squirrel. Or a bunny_, Hollis thought, but it didn't make her any less scared.

One foot in front of the other, she moved forward until the Hale House came into view, a shell of its former self. Hollis frowned at the destruction that had been part of her dad's doing. But she wasn't here to dwell on the past or her dad's actions. She was here to find Derek.

She climbed the creaky porch steps and stopped in front of the red door. She hesitated a moment then raised her hand and knocked. The floorboards didn't creak inside and no voices were raised to signal that anyone was home. She craned her neck to stare up at the house. The fire damage was present and noticeable even at night. The boarded up windows provided no insight into the house.

"Great," she muttered under her breath for the second time that day. Hollis scanned the deserted property with hopes for some clue on what her next move should be. Determined, she grabbed the doorknob and turned. It was unlocked and creaked on its rusted hinges before it hit the wall. A plume of dust and dirt rose into the air. She coughed at the dust that tickled her throat.

The house was still.

"Hello?" Hollis called and took a step into the entrance. She moved her phone around, and the flashlight bathed a small space with light. "Derek?" She stepped further into the house, the abandonment and horrors of what occurred there hung in the air.

Derek wasn't home, which was a disappointment. It made her trip to the house pointless.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the creak of the floorboards until the sound was directly behind her. Frozen, the light from the flashlight danced as her hand trembled from fear. She told herself it was Derek but that didn't mean he'd let her go when she had just broken into his home. Her mind wandered to the other possibility that it was Argent, and she didn't know which terrified her the most.

With false bravery, she turned and collided with someone. The phone dropped from her hand and the feeble light it had provided was put out. Her scream mixed with the other persons. A light shined in her direction like a shield. The panic subsided as she squinted against the light.

"Stiles?" Hollis stared past the glare of the light.

Stiles stood before her, a flashlight in one hand and a baseball bat in the other.

"What are you doing here?!" She fought for control on her beating heart.

"What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" He asked as he also tried to catch his breath. "You told me you were going home."

"I-I was." Not able to stand the bright light anymore, she reached out and moved his hand away. She blinked several times to get the tiny dots out of her vision. "I just came here instead," Hollis said with a shrug. She glanced at the floor to find her phone amid the dust and leaves. She picked it up to see it was still working. The flashlight was on, its light weak as always but working nonetheless. She turned the light off then placed her phone in her pocket. "Were you following me?"

"Yeah, of course," Stiles answered honestly.

"Seriously?" Hollis rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"What? I figured you were up to something so I, you know, followed you." As he said this, he took in the broken room with its dusty and leaf strewn floor to the hole in a section of a wall. "And it looks like I was right."

Hollis shrugged. "I couldn't just ignore that Lydia had been here. Everyone said we'd do more tomorrow but I didn't want to wait another day so... I went by myself."

"You should've told me your plan. I mean, I would've gone with you," Stiles told her.

"Yeah, well - Wait, you would've?" Hollis raised her eyebrows and regarded him thoughtfully.

Stiles sighed. "Of course! We're in this together, remember?"

"Right, of course."

"So, do you really think Lydia's still here?" He asked as he shined the flashlight around the room, its beam bouncing off broken furniture.

"Actually, no." Hollis squirmed under the suspicious gaze he aimed at her and struggled with her next words. "I didn't come here to find her. I mean, of course I still want to find her but I came to talk to Derek."

Wide-eyed, he stared at her as her words sunk in. "Are you... Seriously? Derek? Y-you came here to find _Derek_?" Stiles stammered and shook his head in disbelief. "You do know we can't trust him right? Coming here, especially by yourself... Hollis, that's dangerous and -"

"Yeah, I'm aware of that," she snapped. Realizing that her tone had been a little harsh, she threw him an apologetic smile. All the problems weighed her down, making her exhausted and ill-tempered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -"

"It's okay. I get it." Although he was quick to accept her apology, it made her feel worse for it. "If you or Scott were missing, I'd be doing everything I could to find you. But why Derek?"

Hollis collected her thoughts. Her reasoning behind it was simple but putting it into words would complicate it. "Honestly? I thought he would be our best shot at finding Lydia. Maybe he could tell us where she is or what she's turning into."

Stiles nodded like he tried to understand but she could tell from his expression he didn't. "Yeah, but... Why would help us?"

"He helped Scott when he turned, right?" Hollis asked and, when Stiles nodded, she continued. "So, I figured he would help with Lydia, too."

"But he wasn't exactly hesitant about betraying Scott a couple nights ago. He promised Scott a cure but being an Alpha was more important to him."

A brief image of Derek killing Peter flashed in her mind, and she shook her head to get rid of the gruesome image. "I know but, Stiles, I couldn't give up." Frustrated at the outcome, she frowned. "And of course Derek wouldn't be here the one time I need to talk to him."

Stiles shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I-I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a look around. You know, for clues or something. Since we're here and all."

The frown melted off of her face at his suggestion, and she nodded. It wasn't ideal but at least the trip wouldn't be a complete waste. Their search began on the first floor and they worked their way up to the second floor, room to room. Each area held nothing but charred and weather beaten remains of a house once lived in.

While they searched, Hollis suggested they wait for Derek but Stiles dispelled her suggestion by pointing out that Derek might not be happy about their breaking and entering. Although they could wait outside his house, there was no telling when Derek would return.

"Nothing," Hollis said once they returned to entryway. Her expression had gone from hopeful to disappointed in a matter of minutes. "We checked the whole place and...," she shrugged as the worry that had faded returned.

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side, providing much needed comfort after a day of problems. She leaned into him and took in the comfort he offered but it did little to ease her troublesome thoughts. Still, she smiled her thanks.

"We tried," he whispered.

Hollis nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, but I just thought we'd find something. _Anything_."

"Lydia will show up. I promise we won't stop looking for her."

"Thanks," Hollis whispered. "I'm serious, Stiles. Thanks for putting up with my crazy plan. It meant a lot."

Smiling, Stiles nodded. "Let's get home."

hey. hi. hello.

Thank you for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of _Hunter's Moon_.

Like always, don't forget to hit the little ❤ sign on the top right of your screen to follow +fave. Also, please leave me comments (reviews, critiques, ideas, etc.) down below! I want to hear your thoughts :)


	5. 2

Hollis stepped out of her car only to be was assaulted by the many conversations and laughter around her. Despite all that had occurred, the school was as lively as ever. Friday nights 'animal attack' was already forgotten and Lydia Martin's sudden disappearance didn't seem to bother anyone. It was almost criminal for life to go on.

The temptation to get back in her car and leave the school grounds was strong. More than anything, she didn't want to be cooped up inside a classroom while her best friend was out there somewhere. Last night's failed search party only made her more anxious to get out there but there was only so much she could do on her own.

With a long sigh, she forced herself to move. Her steps were sluggish, almost mechanical as she started towards the school. Hollis looked around, half expecting Lydia to stroll up to her with that confident smile of hers and make a comment about her outfit choice. But it wasn't likely to happen, and the only familiar person she spotted was Jackson.

"Here's a dollar. Go find another parking lot to die in," Jackson said as he put his wallet away. "Security!" He turned away from the homeless man, a satisfied smirk stretched out on his face. A trademark of his personality.

Hollis rolled her eyes at the typical Jackson move.

"What?" Jackson asked with an exasperated sigh, catching sight of her.

"Nothing."

"It's never nothing with you, Hollis. So, _what_?" He asked again.

The books weighed her bag down, causing the strap to dig painfully into her skin. She used the seconds it took to readjust the strap to gather her thoughts. "Nothing. You just didn't have to be such a jerk," she said, looking past him as the homeless man left the school grounds.

Jackson followed her line of sight and scoffed. "Really? This is about the tweaker?" Without waiting for a response, he rolled his eyes then shouldered past her.

"Hey. Jackson, wait," Hollis said, and he turned with a look of annoyance. "Have you heard anything? About Lydia, I mean. I was hoping someone would know -"

"I don't know anything," Jackson interrupted, his answer so casual they could've been talking about the weather.

Hollis frowned, more from his answer than the way he said it, though that bothered her as well. How he could be so callous surprised her. "We tried looking for her last night. But Scott - he couldn't track her," she said, sounding as defeated as she felt. "Do you have any idea where she could be? Where else would she go?"

Jackson shrugged, shaking his head as if being asked a complex question. "How should I know? I don't keep track of her anymore."

"Look, I know you guys broke up but you can't tell me you're not worried." Hollis searched his face for any semblance of emotion but his scowl only deepened. "Come on, Jackson. I know you still care for her. You don't have to act tough. Not with me. Not after everything we've been through. So if you know anything, just tell me. Please."

He sighed in annoyance, and Hollis held her breath as she waited for another Jackson-esque response. But none came. "I don't know where she is, okay? Other than the mall and your house, there aren't many places she'd go. But the cops will find her. Don't worry." With that, he walked past her towards the school.

Despite being unsatisfied with his answer, Hollis had no choice but to accept it. She turned and followed his retreating form towards the main entrance of the school. Before she could get far, she heard her name and looked towards the source. Scott and Stiles stood off to the side, waving her over.

"Any news on Lydia?" Hollis asked when she stopped beside them. She looked from Scott to Stiles, her hope deflating at their sullen expressions. "Nothing? Seriously?"

"We still don't know where she is, " Scott answered with a frown.

"But we know where she was. The graveyard," Stiles added. "Apparently there was a grave robbery last night. My dad questioned Mr. Lahey and Isaac about it this morning."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with Lydia?" Hollis asked, trying to figure out the logic of the two boys before her.

"Because of what was stolen," Scott answered.

"A liver. She stole it. Well, we think she ate it," Stiles said.

Hollis wrinkled her nose at the information.

"What? It's the most nutritious part of the body," Stiles said in response to her reaction.

"Still. It's gross," Hollis said. "Is there any way to track her down?"

Scott shook his head. "But we were going over everything I did when I first turned. What I did, where I went. I mean, I didn't eat anyone's liver but I was drawn to Allison. She kept me in control. So we know the night Lydia was bit, she was at the dance with Carter but -"

"She went looking for Jackson," Stiles finished. "So, we're thinking -"

"He doesn't know anything," Hollis interrupted. "I just talked to him. Either he's a great liar or he's telling the truth and doesn't know anything." She believed the latter, knowing not even Jackson would risk Lydia's safety.

Scott and Stiles shared a look, an identical frown on their faces.

"Don't worry. We'll find her," Scott said.

Hollis was tired of those words. The empty promise that lifted her hopes only for them to be shattered moments later. Despite that, she nodded to show that she heard him.

"After school, we'll -" Scott trailed off. His attention elsewhere, a smile lit up his face while he looked past them.

They waited a moment to give Scott a chance to finish his sentence but it was apparent that he wouldn't.

"After school we'll what, Scott?" Hollis asked but didn't get a response.

Stiles nudged him then, forcing Scott out of his thoughts.

"What?" Scott looked from one to the other as if seeing them for the first time. "Oh, right. We'll," he glanced past them again, "I-I'll, uhm, I'll catch up with you guys later... in class, okay?" Without waiting for a response, he left their side.

Bemused, she looked over her shoulder just in time to see Scott disappear into a crowd of students. When the crowd parted, he was already deep in conversation with Allison.

"Did we just get ditched?" Hollis asked.

"Yep, looks that way." Stiles nodded.

"Hmm," she mused, smiling at her two friends.

"We should probably get to class, too" Stiles spoke up. "You know, before we're late," he added, laughing at the face she made.

"Yeah, I guess," Hollis said with a sigh, though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —

Hollis stood in the doorway of the Chemistry room. Dread spread through her while she stared at the board which was covered in complex equations and other alien writing. Class had yet to begin and already she felt confused. For a second, she debated skipping to save herself the headache of trying to understand something that didn't want to be understood. But a shove from behind pushed her into the room. With no other option, she grudgingly moved towards her seat.

She pulled out her notebook, flipping through the note-ridden pages until she reached a clean page. "This is impossible," she muttered, sighing.

"What is?" Stiles asked from behind.

Hollis turned in her seat, blinking in surprise at finding him and Scott already seated. "Oh, uhm, _that_." She gestured towards the board, wrinkling her nose at the complexity of it. "I'll never understand it."

"Tell me about it," Scott muttered to which Hollis smiled sympathetically.

"I can help you, you know," Stiles said. "Like I did with math."

"Thanks but I doubt I'll be able to catch up now."

"Just how behind are you?" Stiles asked.

With narrowed eyes, Hollis tilted her head. "Probably since like the second or third week," she answered, stealing a glance at them.

"Wh-What?! Why didn't you tell me? You could've told me," Stiles exclaimed.

"I...," Hollis trailed off, shrugging. "I don't know. You were already helping me with math, and I guess I thought I'd be able to catch up on my own."

Stiles stared at her with wide eyes before shaking his head. "You're an idiot, Hollis. I love you but you're an idiot."

She rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips.

"I'm still going to help you," he added with a nod.

She smiled her thanks though she dreaded spending any extra time on Chemistry. Forty minutes a day was enough, maybe even too much.

The door opened and let in the noise from the hallway. A couple students entered, each looking more glum than the next as they took their seats. Hollis couldn't blame them because their expressions mirrored hers to a tee. Jackson walked past her desk, chatting with Danny as they made their way towards the back of the room.

"Hey," Hollis said, turning to face Stiles and Scott once more. "Did you get a chance to talk to Jackson?"

They shared a look before Scott spoke up. "Like you said, he didn't know anything. He wasn't exactly helpful either."

"The jackass acted like he didn't know what we were talking about," Stiles muttered, shooting a glare at an oblivious Jackson.

Hollis frowned though she had expected the lack of information and help from Jackson. She opened her mouth to reply but Mr. Harris entered just then and she changed her mind.

Without so much as a greeting, Mr. Harris began the class by handing out a pop quiz. Everyone groaned, including Hollis, who was much worse off than the rest of them.

Minutes ticked by in silence while Hollis struggled with the multiple choice questions. For each question she answered, she erased at least two, second guessing herself. At this rate, the entire quiz would remain blank by the time she handed it in. She lifted her eyes to notice that each student worked diligently.

_Come on, Hollis, focus. You can do this_, she thought. Taking a deep breath, she let it out and returned to the questions before her.

"It causes me severe mental anguish to say this, but he's right," Stiles whispered.

"I know," Scott agreed, though he didn't sound at all happy about it.

Her concentration broken, Hollis glanced over her shoulder. "Right about what?"

Scott threw a cautious look towards Mr. Harris before speaking. "Lydia. Jackson thinks she could hurt someone."

Hollis looked to Stiles for confirmation. "You actually believe Jackson? The guy who claims he knows nothing about what happened the past few weeks?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. I mean, what if the next body part she steals is from someone who's still alive?"

"You mean murder?" Hollis was careful not to draw Mr. Harris' unwanted attention. "You guys can't be serious. Lydia wouldn't hurt anyone."

"She's turning, Hollis. It's possible," Scott countered.

"No. She - She wouldn't do that," she said, refusing to believe the ugly lie.

"You don't know that," Stiles whispered. "I hate thinking it but -"

"This is a pop quiz, Mr. Stilinski." Mr. Harris looked up from his desk, a cold look in his eyes as he surveyed the trio. "If I hear your voice again I may be tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career."

Stiles blinked. "Can you do that?"

Mr. Harris sighed at the lack of silence. "There it is again. Your voice. Triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student. Repeatedly and violently. I'll see you at three for detention."

Hollis narrowed her eyes. "Are you serious?"

With a close-lipped smile, Mr. Harris turned towards her. "You know, Miss. Griffin, I would think that with your horrible grades, you would stay quiet on the matter. But, since you insist on talking just as much as your..._friend_," he said this word with a sneer, "you can join him after school."

Scott opened his mouth in shock.

"You, too, Mr. McCall?" Mr. Harris asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, sir," Scott muttered, lowering his eyes to the paper.

The quiz resumed and a heavy silence settled over the class, predominantly over the three of them while Mr. Harris watched them. Hollis couldn't help but fidget in her seat, all too aware of his presence. It was obvious he wanted them to slip up, to say something or make a sound that would give him more ammunition to use against them. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction, though.

When the bell signaled the end of class, Hollis couldn't get out of the room fast enough. It was a relief to stand out in the hall, away from Mr. Harris's prying eyes and smug grin.

"This sucks," Hollis complained, shifting the books in her hand.

"I know," Stiles agreed.

"No, I mean this really sucks." She looked from Stiles to Scott. "We were supposed to look for Lydia after school, and now we're stuck with Harris all afternoon," Hollis said, her nose wrinkling with dissatisfaction.

"We can still look for her later. Don't worry," Stiles reassured her, pulling her to his side.

"Yeah, and I'll try to see if I can find anything out," Scott promised. "You know, while you two are in detention," he added, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"You're enjoying this way too much," Hollis commented to which he nodded happily.

"And thanks for sticking up for us! Some friend you are." Stiles shoved Scott gently. "What happened to our friend code? 'All for one, and one for all'?"

"Since when has that been our code?" Scott asked, amusement playing on his face. "Besides, that's from the Three Musketeers."

Stiles frowned. "Great. So we're not Batman and Robin or the Three Musketeers. That's just great."

Despite the grim circumstance of their detention, Hollis laughed. "You guys are idiots."

— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —

Detention loomed over her as the final bell rung. The hallways grew more packed by the minute as students rushed to their lockers, eager to be finished with classes for the day. Hollis wished she could be amongst them but, unfortunately for her, the only place she was headed to was the Chemistry room. The one place she dreaded more than anything else. If that wasn't bad enough, it meant another whole hour with Mr. Harris.

Frustrated, she slammed the locker door harder than intended. A few glanced in her direction but Hollis brushed off their inquisitive looks. She had more important things on her mind than what others thought of her.

Books in hand, she moved against the crowd though it proved to be difficult. Every so often, she got jostled and had to regain her balance to keep from tripping or dropping her books. Somehow, she made it to the end of the hallway. Her steps became slower, all urgency leaving her body. The only thing making detention with Harris bearable was that Stiles would be there, too. They wouldn't be able to talk but it was a relief she wouldn't be alone.

Just as she forced her steps to quicken, a figure rounded the corner. Isaac Lahey walked in her direction, oblivious to her stopping in the middle of the hall. She remembered Stiles mentioning Isaac that morning, and a shred of hope filled her at the possibility of him knowing something. It was possible Isaac knew nothing, that he had just noticed the robbed grave and nothing else. Just like he had told Sheriff Stilinski this morning. But there was also the possibility that he knew something and kept it to himself. Despite the outcome, she wanted to know for sure. If she couldn't go out looking for Lydia, she might as well question the only person who was there that night.

"Isaac," Hollis said, blocking his path.

He stared down at her, seeming to just notice her there. "What?"

"I-" she trailed off, unsure of how to bring up the subject.

The seconds wasted added to Isaac's impatience. He side-stepped her when it was apparent that Hollis wouldn't say anything else.

"Okay, wait." She panicked that she might have missed her chance at questioning him. Isaac turned to face her. Impatience and curiosity crossed his face as, once again, she remained quiet. The bruise under his eye caught her attention, and she frowned at the sight of it. There had been rumors of Isaac not having the best home life, though the bruise easily could have been due lacrosse practice. She hoped it was because of the latter.

"Are you going to say something or just stand there?" Isaac asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," she said, offering him a small smile. "I just... I heard you were working the night shift last night."

Isaac shrugged. "Maybe. Why?"

"Because Lydia's missing. She's out there somewhere, and I think she might have gone to the cemetery last night, so -"

"I told the cops everything this morning. I didn't see anything."

"But maybe you did," Hollis pressed, desperation filling her. "I'm not saying you lied but maybe she was there. Maybe she...," she trailed off once more, biting her lower lip.

"Look," Isaac said with a sigh. "All I saw was a dead guy with a missing liver. So, unless you're suggesting that Lydia did some grave night shopping, I can't help you."

Hollis bit her lower lip, struggling to find another way to broach the topic without sounding insane. Or giving away that werewolves were real and Lydia was possibly turning into one. "No, of course not," she said with an awkward laugh. "There's just reason to believe she was there last night. So anything you can remember, no matter how weird or unbelievable, please tell me. She's my best friend."

A flicker of something, recognition perhaps, crossed his face but it disappeared just as quickly. Isaac remained quiet and studied her as if half expecting her to grow wings and fly away. "Sorry. Other than a weird grave robbery, nothing else happened." He turned to walk away then looked over his shoulder. "But I hope she turns up."

Hollis had learned nothing new but she couldn't deny that Isaac had held back. There was something he hadn't told her. It was all she could think about on the way to detention.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss. Griffin," Mr. Harris said dryly. "Detention started ten minutes ago."

"I-I know, sorry," she said.

Mr. Harris discarded her apology. "Did I not specify the time and place for detention earlier?"

"No, you did."

"And you chose to be late anyway." Hollis opened her mouth to apologize but Mr. Harris waved his hand, stopping her. "Take a seat."

With a sigh, she nodded and took in the room. It was empty, save for one desk occupied by Stiles. She glanced over her shoulder before she walked to where Stiles sat. Mr. Harris didn't seem to object so she quickened her pace and sat down before she could get reprimanded.

"Where were you?" Stiles whispered.

"Talking to Isaac," Hollis replied, casting a look towards Harris. "He doesn't know where Lydia is but...I think he knows something."

"Like what?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know. I just felt like he was holding back on -"

"No. Talking," Mr. Harris interrupted.

The two of them faced forward. Harris continued to watch them for a few uncomfortable seconds before diving back into grading papers.

The minutes slowed down as there was nothing to do but sit and stare. Hollis rested her head on her hand, the events of the last few days taking effect on her. Her eyes drooped but she forced herself to stay awake. It was possible that Harris had a no sleeping rule and would be sure to call her out on it.

With sleeping and talking not an option, her mind kept busy by reeling in all the facts she had pushed away. From her dad's involvement in the fire to Peter's fiery death to Lydia's disappearance, all of which danced an ugly dance in her mind. As the minutes went by, her mind ached from the information overload. Of having to be reminded of everything she had tried to put out of her mind.

The minute hand ticked closer to four, and Hollis became restless when Stiles nudged her with a smile. At a minute to four, both of them stood up. Chairs scraped the tiled floor, getting Mr. Harris's attention.

"Sit," he instructed.

"But it's been an hour," Stiles argued.

"Yeah, it's four," Hollis chimed in, gesturing towards the clock.

He made a point of looking at his watch, a sneer twisting up his face. "It's a minute to four. And my detention runs an hour and a half."

"Are you serious?" Hollis asked with a sigh.

"You can't do that," Stiles told him.

"Oh, but I can. You see, Stiles..." Harris said his name with disdain and stood up, approaching their desk. "Since your father was so judicious in his dealings with me, I've decided to make you my personal project for the rest of the semester. You're going to benefit from all the best that strict discipline has to offer."

Hollis and Stiles exchanged a bitter look.

"Now, both of you, sit down before I decide to keep you here all night." As they slumped back in their seats, Harris turned his attention towards Hollis. "And, Miss. Griffin, you'll remain an extra ten minutes for being late."

She rolled her eyes but said nothing though there was plenty she wanted to say. Biting her tongue, she sat back in the seat and tried not to stare too hard at the clock. It wouldn't make time go by any faster. Still, every now and then, her eyes flickered to the minutes hand as it slowly ticked towards the half past mark.

Four-thirty came and went. Stiles left, which left Hollis alone in utter silence for another ten minutes. She stared longingly at the door. _Just another ten minutes,_ she told herself. The anxiousness made her jittery and unable to sit still while the minutes felt unbearably long as if on purpose.

"You may go." Harris dismissed her with a wave of his hand when the ten minutes were up.

Without waiting for him to say more, Hollis grabbed her bag and raced towards the door. She wrenched the door open, happy to finally be free. She turned and collided with Stiles who stood just outside the room.

He steadied her with a laugh.

"What are you doing here?" Hollis asked.

"I had detention. You know, with Harris. And you," he answered, nodding towards the room she had just left.

Hollis tilted her head. "No, I know that. But I thought you'd be long gone by now."

"And leave you behind? Yeah, no way." He shook his head, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

She smiled and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "You didn't have to but, thanks." They moved towards the exit through the almost empty hallway. "Any news from Scott about Lydia?"

"Not about Lydia but Scott texted me. He wants me to meet up with him at the cemetery. It's Kate's funeral, and I think he wants to be there for Allison. I mean, he's not attending the funeral but he's going to just be there. You know, for moral support or something," Stiles stammered, nodding the entire time.

"And you're going because...?"

"Moral support for Scott, I guess," Stiles answered with a shrug. "I don't know. But I think it has something do with 'the other's' that Allison was talking about the other night. He wants to figure out who they are."

Hollis had forgotten about that. With her mind preoccupied with Lydia and then detention, the information or lack-thereof Allison provided them had left her mind. "So are we going there now?"

Stiles nodded. "We can take my Jeep."

They made it to the double doors and pushed their way out of the school. The parking lot was still surprisingly full. Stiles' Jeep came into view but a text on Hollis's phone interrupted the silence.

Hollis looked down at her phone, a frown making its way onto her face.

"What's wrong?" Stiles asked.

"Nothing," Hollis said, shoving the phone into her bag. "My dad wants me home. Now. He says we need to talk," she said, making a face. After everything that happened these past few days, she avoided her dad as much as possible, using every excuse in the book to postpone the inevitable. But there were only so many excuses she could use before she would have to face him and everything he did.

"You'll be okay?"

Hollis nodded with a sigh, forcing a smile. "Yeah. I should be used to these talks by now," she joked. "Just let me know what you and Scott find, okay?"

— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —

The smell of dinner greeted Hollis when she entered the house. Her stomach growled in response, reminding her of the pitiful lunch she had eaten. Too wound up from the events of the past few days left her with little to no appetite. But now that the scents wrapped themselves around her, she realized just how hungry she was.

"I'm home!" Hollis called, dropping her bag off in the living room before turning towards the kitchen.

Like countless other times this past year, Grant stood at the stove. He looked over at her, the worry dissipating as a smile stretched across his face. "Hey," he said, returning to his cooking. "How was school?"

Hollis sat down at the counter. "It was okay," she replied with a shrug though he didn't see it. Resting her head in her hands, she watched as her dad took extra care with his food, his "creation" as he so often called it. "How was your day?"

A conversation was brewing in the air. It had been brewing for quite some time now. The few minimal words that they exchanged were a clear path to a full out conversation that Hollis wasn't interested in having. Yet she couldn't bear the awkward silence that filled the space the last few days, weighing down on everything around them.

"Not bad," Grant said. "Your mom's classes are going well. I have a lot to grade but I guess that's my own fault for assigning so much," he added with a chuckle.

Hollis smiled softly.

"So," Grant started as he took a seat opposite her, placing a plate of food in front of her. "Detention, huh?"

Hollis made a face and nodded. She played with the food, taking small bites though it was still too hot to eat. But from what little she tried, she liked. Her dad's cooking had improved considerably from the days of burning food and ordering take out. His food was now edible, which continued to surprise her despite having grown accustomed to his meals.

"I swear, Harris has it in for us or something. He just, I don't know, hates us." she said with a frown and took a few bites of food, letting it mask the hunger.

"Us?" Grant asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Me, Stiles and Scott," she explained. "But Scott avoided detention today, which was weird. And lucky. He didn't have to be stuck with Harris for an hour and a half."

Grant looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it at the last moment.

The subject changed a dozen times over the course of the meal, which was surprisingly pleasant. For a brief moment, it felt as if nothing had changed. But as the conversation dwindled, things became awkward. The air was still heavy with a discussion; a calm before the storm of sorts. But Hollis wouldn't be the first to bring the tension up. She preferred to lead the conversation away from the inevitable topic rather than towards it.

Dinner finished up, and the two of them cleared the table in silence.

"I think," Grant started and paused, throwing a cautious look towards Hollis. He took the last plate from her and set it down in the sink.. He wiped his hands on a dish towel while he gathered his thoughts.

Hollis held her breath as a panicky wave spread through her.

"I think," he said again, "it's time you make some new friends."

The breath was knocked out of her, and she stood in shock. This was not the conversation she had expected to have. Not again. The last time her dad asked her to cut all ties with her friends had been at the hospital Friday night. "What? Dad, no." She shook her head, unable to wrap her mind around what her dad was asking, telling, her to do.

"I don't like that your friends are involved in this. I told you that already." There was no need to ask what 'this' was because there was no use hiding it. He knew of their involvement in the supernatural just as much as her friends knew about the part he had played in the Hale fire years ago.

"They didn't_ choose_ to be involved in this. Scott didn't _choose_ to get bitten by Peter and have his entire life turned upside down," she said defiantly, crossing her arms.

"I know," he said, holding his hands up. "But it happened. And I need to protect you but I can't do my job if they keep dragging you into this. I allowed it that one time but...this needs to stop, Hollis."

She shook her head in disbelief. "They didn't drag me into anything, dad," Hollis argued. "I figured it out on my own." It wasn't the entire truth considering Jackson, of all people, had helped put the pieces together but she wouldn't go into that conversation. Not now. "Stiles didn't want me involved in this either. When he found out that I knew...we had a fight. He wanted me to stay away from this but now-"

"He's letting you put yourself in danger."

"No, it's not like that! He's letting me help my friends. Make my own choices. Of all people, I thought you would understand."

"I do." Grant sighed and ran a hand over his face. "But it doesn't mean that I have to like it. Or allow it."

A long, silent moment stretched out before them. This conversation was worse than what Hollis had expected. She felt herself losing control over her life, over her choices.

"So, what?" Hollis asked, looking towards him for answers. "Are you telling me I can't see my friends? And Stiles?"

He looked at her, the decision turning over in his mind. "It's for the best." He frowned at the disappointed look on her face. "Don't make me out to be the bad guy here, Hollis."

"Well stop acting like one," she said. "You're not exactly innocent in all of this, you know."

Grant's expression hardened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it," she said, biting her tongue from saying what was on her mind.

"No, tell me. I'm curious," he said, though he sounded anything but.

It was a trap, and Hollis knew it though she found it hard to keep quiet. The moment stretched while he waited for her to talk and while she put her thoughts into words. "It means that everything that's happened these last couple months is because of you._ You _stabbed Peter in the back when you trusted Kate. If you hadn't betrayed him, he would've have come back from...the dead, or whatever, and hurt everyone. Scott never would've gotten bitten and no one would have gotten their life turned upside down."

"You already know that wasn't the whole story. That's not fair, Hollis."

She shook her head. "No, it's not. So even if I wasn't friends with Stiles and Scott, I would've gotten pulled into this either way. Because of you and all of your secrets. So, maybe the person I really need to stay away from is you." She ignored the shocked and hurt look on his face then turned towards the living room.

"Hollis!" Grant took a step forward, following her into the room. "That's enough. I know you're angry -"

"Yeah, I am," she interrupted, grabbing her bag. "Because you're telling me to abandon my friends! Maybe you're okay with turning your back on people but I'm not, okay? I'm not you." She rummaged around in the bag, at last finding the keys and pulling them out.

"Where you you going?" Grant asked, eyeing the keys in her hand.

"To find Lydia. Like I was supposed to before you _summoned_ me for dinner."

He took another step forward. "We're not done with this conversation. You can't just walk out on me."

"Why not? I learned it from you. Huh, I guess we have something in common after all." Hollis didn't bother waiting for a reply. She pulled the door open, closing it harder than she intended. Not wasting a second, she got into her car and pulled out just as the front door opened.

Grant stood there in shock, watching her drive away.

When she turned down the street, tears welled up in her eyes. They obscured her vision, and the world around her turned blurry. She blinked them back but the few tears that escaped were just the beginning. Angrily, Hollis wiped them away though they continued to spill down her cheeks. The adrenaline from the fight coursed through her veins as the two emotions battled each other.

The silence broke when her phone rang. A sharp, piercing sound shocked her out of her thoughts. Hollis glanced down at the caller ID, frowning to see her dad's name displayed across the screen. She ignored the call but, a moment later, the phone rang again. Not wanting to partake in part two of the conversation, she turned her phone off and let the calls go to voicemail. The blank screen stared up at her as silence filled the car once more.

For at least a half hour, Hollis drove around town. Her head cleared but a bitter taste remained behind as the aftermath of the fight faded into the background. She was still upset but had calmed down enough to focus and begin her search for Lydia, though she didn't know where to start.

Hollis parked on a side street to get a plan together. She remembered Stiles telling her he would be at the cemetery with Scott but that had been almost two hours ago. The chances of them still being there seemed slim; just as unlikely would it be for Lydia to be there. There was only one place that Hollis was positive would be a good starting point, despite the failure of the night before. Perhaps this time she could get the help she wanted to get.

— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —

Hollis arrived at the Beacon Hills Preserve just as the sun began to go down. If she had to guess, she would say she had about a half hour left until it fully disappeared from the sky. The cool air greeted her when she exited the warm confines of her car. With a shiver, she zipped her jacket up and started her trek into the woods. She retraced her steps from the night before or so she hoped. It was difficult to tell which direction was the right one with the lack of markers or a good memory for directions. Hollis often relied on her GPS but she doubted it would lead her to the Hale House.

On pure instinct alone, she pushed her way through and hoped to be going the right way. As the sun dipped lower in the sky and darkness crept in, panic set in around her. The confidence she had arrived with faded.

_You're almost there_, she told herself but with a lack of certainty.

Just as the nerves dug their claws into her, the Hale House came into view. The brittle structure stood tall against the sky and, again, Hollis felt a pang of guilt at what her dad had done.

"What are you doing here?" Derek pushed his way out of the house. Arms crossed over his chest, he stood on the porch. "This is private property."

"I-I know. Sorry." Hollis stumbled over her words and took an uncertain step forward. "I'm just looking for Lydia. Scott tracked her here last night and -"

"She's not here," Derek interrupted. "Which you should already know since you broke in last night."

Wide-eyed, Hollis stared at him. "I...How..."

"I caught your scent," Derek answered to her expected question.

"Oh."

He waited a moment but she remained quiet, almost stunned. "So, why are you here if you know she's not?"

Hollis forced herself out of the stupor. "Because I need your help finding her."

Derek looked at her with curiosity, bemused at her answer. "You need my help?"

"Yeah, I do," she said with a nod.

He stepped off the porch and, in just a few strides, closed the distance between them. "Why should I help you? All of this," he gestured behind him to the ruined remains of his home, "is because of your family. You did this."

She looked past him at the burned skeleton of the home. A haunted expression on her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, turning her attention back to him. "But this was my dad. You can't blame me for something he did. Just like I can't blame you for Peter's actions."

He kept quiet, studying her as if to determine if she meant what she said. "Really?"

"Really." Hollis bit her lower lip, and her eyes darted towards the darkening woods. The sun was barely visible now, the night colder. Frustration built up inside her as the seconds ticked by, wasting precious time that could be spent searching. "So, are you going to help me or not?"

Derek smiled, shaking his head. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

"My best friend's out there because of Peter. So, no, I'm not going to give up."

Derek spoke but a howl filled the air, cutting off his words. The sound carried through the air, wrapping them up in it.

Hollis whipped her head around, trying to determine where the sound had come from. Surrounded by woods, it was impossible to pinpoint the exact location. "Was that Scott?"

"I-"

Hollis didn't wait for an answer. She took off in the direction she believed the sound had come from.

"Hollis!" Derek yelled, surprised at her taking off. "Damn it," he whispered, following her seconds later.

Branches, rocks and roots created an obstacle course that was near impossible to get through. The darkness that blanketed the woods added onto it. With only the glow from the moon as her light source, Hollis struggled to keep her balance but the adrenaline kept her going.

"Wait! Stop!" A voice broke through the stillness of the night. A voice that sounded like Scott's.

Hollis entered a clearing, slowing down enough to get her bearings and give Derek the chance to catch up. Before she could move towards the voice, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Her breath was knocked from her lungs as her back hit the tree.

"_Are you insane_?" Derek hissed, glaring down at her. "You can't just run into the woods at the first sound you hear."

Hollis matched his glare. "I was looking for Scott. Besides, why do you even care? Just a few minutes ago you weren't even going to help me."

Derek ignored her. Instead, he looked out from behind the tree to scan the area. "Scott's not the only one out here," he whispered then motioned for her to look.

Hollis followed his gaze to see a figure emerge on the hill. Whoever it was didn't get far before a tripwire activated, and they went flying into the air.

"Someone's coming. Stay here," Derek instructed.

With a sigh, she nodded before Derek disappeared from sight. She waited, counting down the wasted seconds. Her counting ended when something flew past her, missing her by mere inches. Someone hit the tree with force before crumbling to the ground. Before they could react, Derek pulled him to his feet and it was then that Hollis realized it was Scott.

Scott noticed her, too and blinked in surprise. "Hollis? Wh-what are you doing here?" He then looked from one to the other. "What's going on?"

"I - It's a long story."

Derek gave a nod of agreement, not looking eager to go into it at the moment.

Hollis peeked out from behind their cover, a frown gracing her face as the figure struggled against its' restraints. "We have to help him."

Scott agreed but Derek pushed him back. "What are you doing? I can help him."

"You can't," Derek said, sounding sure.

Hollis turned to Derek, tilting her head in annoyance. "Seriously? We can help him. If you don't want to -"

"It's not that," Derek interrupted. "They're already here."

"Who is?" Hollis stepped forward but Derek held her back, his grip like a vice.

"I can help him," Scott said again, determination coating his words.

"Quiet," Derek said, silencing the both of them.

The sound of boots crunching on leaves filled the air as a group of hunters arrived. Argent was in the frontline, followed by an older man. They stopped beside their prey, who helplessly hung by the wire.

"Who's that with Allison's dad?" Hollis asked, receiving an annoyed look from Derek.

"Gerard. Allison's grandfather. He was at the funeral today," Scott whispered back.

They turned their attention towards the hunters, Argent in particular. He stepped towards his prey, his demeanor threatening as he extended a baton. The electrified tip touched the werewolf. His cries of pain met with the electricity coursing through his body.

Hollis looked away, not only from the brilliant blue flash but from the torture that was taking place in front of her. Only when the cries died down did she risk looking back. The wolf that hung from the wire was now a man, one that looked familiar. Her mind flashed back to earlier that morning. "I know him," she whispered in horror, meeting Scott's gaze that told her he did, too.

"Who are you?" Argent asked but the homeless man only stuttered an incoherent response. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing - Nothing, I swear," he said, finding his voice.

Despite the fear that laced his voice, Argent was unperturbed. "You're not from here, are you? Are you!?"

The homeless man shook his head. "No. No, I came - I came looking for the Alpha."

Hollis glanced towards Derek, whose gaze didn't waver from the scene.

"I heard rumors, I heard there was - I heard he was here. That's all. I didn't do anything. I didn't hurt anyone. No one living. He wasn't alive in the ambulance. He wasn't, I swear," the homeless man continued, stumbling over his words as fear weaved its way deeper into his voice.

Gerard turned to the other hunters and gestured for them to come forward as if he was a teacher, addressing his class.

Hollis immediately disliked him.

"Gentlemen," Gerard stated, "come a little closer and have a look at a rare sight." He looked pleased as everyone gathered in a semi-circle. "Want to tell them what we've caught?"

"An Omega," Argent answered.

"The lone wolf," Gerard added.

"Is he seriously turning this into some kind of lesson?" Hollis asked in disgust. With a shake of her head, she watched as Gerard approached a hunter and pulled something long and thin from a backpack.

Gerard continued with his speech, his voice reaching them all. "Possibly kicked out of his own pack. Or the survivor of a pack that was hunted down. Maybe even murdered. Possibly alone by his own choice. Certainly not a wise choice." As he said this, he unsheathed the sharp blade and admired it for a moment.

Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of the sword. "What the hell is he going to do with that?" She turned to Scott to see despair on his face. "Please tell me he's not going to...," she trailed off, leaving the end of that sentence unfinished. The thought alone made her lightheaded.

Foreboding and panic hung in the air. There was no question about what would take place next, which only added to the fear felt by everyone but the hunters.

"Guys, we have to do something. We can't just - We can't stand here and do nothing." Her heart beat quickly as fear inched its way around her, suffocating her. "_Please_."

Scott nodded once but the moment he moved, Derek's grip on him tightened.

"_Don't_," Derek said through clenched teeth.

While Scott struggled with Derek, Gerard's voice rang over theirs. "Because, as I'm about to demonstrate..." He lifted the blade with both hands, the sharp metal glistening against the moonlight.

"Derek, we have to stop him," Hollis pleaded, the panic rising in her voice.

The look Derek threw her let her know no help would be given.

"An Omega rarely survives on its own," Gerard finished icily.

"Please, we _have_ to," Hollis begged.

"It's too late, Hollis," Derek said softly.

Hollis stared at Derek, willing him to change his mind but knew that he wouldn't. Wordlessly, she turned back to the horror show as Gerard swung the blade with a quick and powerful movement across the man's torso. The sickening sound of sword tearing through flesh rang throughout the night.

Hand over her mouth, she shook her head. "No," Hollis whispered, her voice breaking. Scott staggered forward, struggling against Derek but she stood frozen to the spot. Unable to move or do anything other than stare, her eyes glued to the gruesome scene.

As if in slow motion, the lower half of the man fell to the ground while the top half continued to swing, dripping blood and entrails onto the ground.

Hollis felt her mouth go dry and everything before her swayed. It all felt surreal but it had happened. She had seen it happen. Stumbling backwards, her back hit the tree, and she sunk down onto the ground. The shock and disgust at what she had witnessed dominated all other emotions, shaking her to the core. Her heart raced, threatening to jump out of her chest while the rest of her shook.

She withdrew into herself as everything around her blurred. The voices and sounds became muted, distant. Still she sat, fighting off the panic that pulled at her from all sides. But the battle was already lost, and she gave into it. Her lungs felt like half their normal size, constricting with each breath she tried and failed to take in.

_One in, one out_, Hollis repeated in her mind. "One in, one out," she whispered but saying it aloud didn't make the mantra work any better. She still struggled, fighting for just one small breath of air. Lost in the panic attack, she didn't notice Scott by her side.

His words sounded far away, barely breaking through the panic. "What's wrong with her?" Scott asked, looking over his shoulder at Derek.

Derek frowned. "She's having a panic attack."

"Can you help her?" Scott asked, begged almost. "I-I don't know what to do. Stiles always helps, he-he knows what to do."

Derek knelt down beside her and spoke to her, his voice low and urgent but comforting at the same time.

After a couple minutes, his voice broke through, and Hollis gulped down a lungful of air. It hurt, burning her lungs as they inflated to their normal size. She struggled to get a few more breaths in before she looked towards them.

"You okay?" Derek asked.

With a nod, she stood up shakily and braced herself against the tree, averting her gaze from both of them. A cool breeze came in, bringing with it the copper smell of blood, and her stomach roiled from the smell of it. She closed her eyes, willing it to pass.

"Hollis," Scott said.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out. "I'm okay," she said with a nod, as if needing to convince herself, too. Hollis looked out from behind the tree, surprised to find the hunters gone. The top half of the man still swung, being the only indication that the nightmare had happened. "We could've helped him."

"There wasn't anything we could've done," Derek said.

Hollis tore her eyes away, directing her attention at him. "You don't know that," she said, shaking her head. "You didn't even try."

"Going out there would've been suicide, Hollis. The hunters shoot first, ask questions later. They would've killed us."

"Not if we tried before they got here," she argued. "Like I wanted to. Like Scott wanted to."

Derek let out a long sigh.

"We had time, Derek. _Minutes_. It would've been enough to save him before they ki-...," she trailed off, shaking her head. "He died because we didn't try."

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Derek said, his tone implying that was the end of the conversation. He turned his back to her and moved past Scott.

"He was looking for you, you know," Hollis said after him, stopping Derek mid-step. "For an alpha, for someone to protect him. Maybe he even wanted to join your pack. I mean, that's why you wanted to be an alpha, right? That's why you killed Peter and betrayed Scott in the first place. To have a pack and to be stronger, better?"

Derek looked over his shoulder at her with narrowed eyes.

"No offense, but you're doing a really crappy job as an alpha. You let an innocent person _die_, someone who needed you and -"

"_Shut up_." His jaw clenched at her words. In a couple strides, he closed the distance between them. His eyes glowed red, matching the anger that coursed through him while he glared down at her. "Last time I checked, I saved both your lives tonight. Your recklessness would've gotten you killed."

"Or maybe it would've saved someone." His presence intimidated her, the glow of his eyes reminding her what he was but she stood her ground.

Derek opened his mouth to comment but Scott stepped between them. "Guys, stop. This isn't helping anyone." He looked from one to the other, almost pleading with them to stop fighting.

The air felt hostile. Hollis and Derek continued to glare at each other, the unfinished fight hanging between them. Long seconds ticked by before Scott's words broke through to them.

With a sigh, Hollis broke eye contact with Derek. "Fine. You're right," she said and, Scott visibly relaxed. "Sorry," she added though it wasn't directed at anyone in particular.

Derek grunted in response, his eyes now back to their original color. Hostility remained on his face though the conversation ended. "You two should get home," he said before he left them alone, disappearing into the dark forest.

Hollis rolled her eyes at his sudden retreat, the anger she felt towards the situation displayed on her face.

"So," Scott said, breaking the heavy silence, "are you going home?"

She turned towards him with disbelief. "Of course not," she said, shaking her head. "I came here to find Lydia, and I'm not going home until I do."

"Hollis, you should - It's not safe out here. Derek's right about that." He frowned at her expression, continuing before she interrupted. "Look, I-I'll find her. I promise. And I'll call you when I do but -"

"I'm not changing my mind." To prove her point, she turned on her heel and headed into the dark depths of the forest. The branches overhead hid the moon, stealing the minimal light it provided. She reached into her pocket for her phone only to find it empty. She let out an aggravated sigh then remembered why she left it behind. Turned off. Brushing off the fact that she couldn't see well, she continued on but didn't get far before Scott's voice rang out behind her. She didn't want to stop and be reminded of the dangers that lurked in the woods but his persistency forced her to, if only to shut him up.

Scott nearly collided with her.. "Oh, you stopped. I uhm..." He glanced down at his phone, the light illuminating his face as his eyes scanned something.

Her patience thinned, and she crossed her arms. "What?" She asked when he continued to be immersed in his phone. "Scott!"

He brought his attention back to her. "Sorry, I was just -"

"If you're here to tell me to turn around and go home then you're wasting your time. I'm not giving up, not again so -"

Scott shook his head, brushing her theory aside. "No, it's not... Hold on." He looked down at his phone, typing something. "Stiles found Lydia."

— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —

The roadblock up ahead stopped the scarce traffic and forced the cars to turn around and find an alternate route. Hollis saw the cordoned off area but continued on, stopping just before the first barrier. She stepped out of the car, squinting against the glaring red and blue lights that flashed against the dark night. Her eyes took in the scene before her as if in slow motion, her rapidly beating heart being the only indication that time had not slowed down.

Scott joined her, and the two walked towards the first barricade but were stopped by a police officer.

"I'm sorry but you two can't be here," the officer said, striding towards them. He took in their dumbfounded expressions and pointed behind them. "There's a detour set up a block away so -"

"It's okay. Let them through," Sheriff Stilinski said, motioning them forward.

Hollis and Scott pushed through the barricade, quickening their pace towards where the Sheriff stood.

"Let me guess, Stiles called you," the Sheriff stated with a nod.

Upon hearing his name, Stiles appeared from around the car. "What? I-I didn't do anything, I swear," he said then noticed Hollis and Scott. "Oh, hey. You're here," he added, confirming his dad's theory.

"Yeah, we-"

"Is Lydia okay?" Hollis interrupted, her heart hammering in her chest. It beat so quickly, so loudly that she believed everyone could hear it.

"She's okay," Stiles told her. "But -"

"But what?" Hollis asked, her heart in her throat as she looked from Stiles to the Sheriff.

"She's just a little shaken up but she's fine," the Sheriff said, shooting an irritated look at Stiles. "The paramedics are taking a look at her right now."

Hollis looked towards the ambulance. "Can I...?"

The Sheriff nodded. "Just don't be too long, okay? They're getting ready to take her to the hospital." He noticed the panic settle over her face and continued, hoping to ease her fears. "It's protocol. She's been out here for what, two days? She needs to be monitored for a while. Not too mention she left the hospital without the clearance of a doctor."

Hollis let out a shaky breath then started towards the ambulance. Her legs felt like lead, stiff and heavy but she reached the ambulance. The hammering of her heart slowed some upon the conversation that reached her ears and, despite the grim situation, a small smile tugged at her lips.

"I already told you," Lydia said with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know why I went on a naked run through the woods for two days, okay? You're the paramedic, you figure it out."

Hollis looked around the doors to see Lydia sitting on a stretcher, a coat draped over her thin frame. "Lydia?"

Lydia and the paramedic both turned to her.

"Is it okay if I talk to her?" Hollis asked.

"I'll give you two some time," the paramedic said, relieved at the interruption.

Hollis stepped into the ambulance and pulled Lydia into a hug. The panic from earlier faded at seeing her in one piece. "You're okay."

"Of course," Lydia said, returning the hug. Leaves and twigs stuck up in odd angles from her hair, and Hollis reached over to take a few out.

"What happened, Lyd? You were in the hospital and then..."

"I don't know," Lydia said with a shrug. A vacant look entered her eyes but disappeared a moment later. "One minute I was in the shower, and the next I'm walking out of the woods. Naked."

"We spent the last two days looking for you," Hollis said, relief washing over her at knowing it was in the past now. Though there was still the mystery of why Lydia disappeared, she was just glad to have her friend back. Alive.

"We?" Lydia asked, arching a brow.

"Me, Ali, Stiles and Scott." Hollis rolled her eyes at Lydia's reaction. "They care about you, Lydia. Whether you like it or not, they're your friends."

Lydia sighed loudly but a hint of a smile played on her face. "Fine. Just as long as they know I'm going back to ignoring them the second I go back to school."

Hollis smiled at the typical Lydia response, pulling her in for another hug.

The paramedic appeared albeit reluctantly and cleared his throat. "Sorry, but I need to get her to the hospital."

Hollis nodded and pulled out of the hug. "I'll visit soon, okay?" No sooner had she stepped out of the ambulance than the doors closed. The ambulance pull away with its sirens blaring into the dark night. With her best friend safely behind those doors, a weight had lifted from her shoulders.

"Hey." Stiles stopped beside her.

She turned towards him with a smile. "Thanks for finding her."

"She kind of found me, to be honest," Stiles admitted then threw a worried look her way. "But I was close to giving up to go to looking for you."

She tilted her head. "What? Why?"

"Because you weren't answering your phone. You didn't answer my texts, and your phone kept going to voicemail. I was freaking out! I-I thought something happened to you."

Hollis closed her eyes with a soft sigh. "I'm sorry. I had my phone turned off." He looked at her but she waved aside the obvious question. "It's a long story. But the short version is that I had a fight with my dad. Again. I turned my phone off because I didn't want to talk to him."

Stiles nodded though the question remained behind his eyes. "Where did you go?"

Hollis hesitated for a moment. "I went to find Derek."

"What?" Stiles asked, too loudly. Several people looked their way, and he lowered his voice. "Why?"

"Because I thought he was still our best bet in finding Lydia. But...," she trailed off, shrugging. "Now I don't know. Maybe he really is the monster you think he is."

Stiles frowned. "What changed?" As the question hung in the air, worry overcame him. "W-wait. He didn't hurt you, right?" He then proceeded to look her over, checking for any sign of injury.

"No, not me," Hollis said with a shake of her head while her mind flashed to earlier that evening, filling with images that she wanted to erase. She shook her head to rid herself of it but the memory remained, engraved in stone. "He let him die, Stiles."

"Let who die? What are you talking about?" Stiles took hold of her arms, steering her attention towards him.

"Remember that homeless guy at the school this morning? The one Jackson was an ass to?" When Stiles nodded, she took a deep breath and continued. "Turns out he was a werewolf. He got stuck in the tripwire that caught Scott the other night."

Stiles smiled at the memory but the smile quickly evaporated at the look on her face.

"Derek didn't think we had time to help him but we did." Hollis looked past him, transfixed at the empty space. "But before me and Scott could do anything, the hunters showed up and..."

"They killed him," Stiles finished.

Hollis nodded once, biting her lip as her eyes grew blurry. She angrily blinked back the tears.

"I'm sorry you saw that," he said and pulled her towards him, wrapping her up in a hug. "Are you okay?"

"Not really, no," she said with a sigh. "I just keep... Every time I close my eyes I see him die. They - They cut him in half."

Stiles balked at the image her words created and smoothed down her hair in an attempt to soothe her. "All of this is getting too crazy."

Hollis agreed silently. When Peter had been defeated, she believed it would be the end but now it felt like they were back at square one. Like it was starting all over again. The arrival of the other Argent and hunters only proved her theory.

"So, don't hate me or anything but maybe you... I-I mean, maybe it would be a good idea if you took a step back. From all this," Stiles said slowly, cautiously. "At least until everything calms down and stops being so dangerous."

Hollis pulled back in confusion, staring up at him. "And what if it never does? Then what, Stiles? You can't expect me to just walk away and pretend I'm not involved. Like I don't know about all this."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," he told her.

"And I love that you care but I can't do that," she said, interrupting him when he started to talk. "Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me."

**hey. hi. hello.**

Thank you for reading ❤ What did you guys think of this chapter? I low-key loved writing the Hollis/Derek part. They've never had a scene before and it was fun to put them together. Did you guys like it and/or do you want to see more of an interaction between them in the future? Please let me know!

Like always, don't forget to fave/follow and please leave me comments (reviews, critiques, ideas, etc.) down below! I want to hear your thoughts :)

And the third "chapter" called _reap_ was supposed to be recap but obviously I can't spell a simple word lol.


	6. 3

"Are you sure you're ready, Lyd?" Hollis asked for about the dozenth time that morning. She stole a glance at her friend, who rolled her eyes in irritation. The question continued to surface despite the number of times Lydia reassured her she was fine. Hollis worried about her. How couldn't she? Her best friend had two near-death experiences in one week, so it wasn't easy to brush that aside. "Look, all I'm saying is that you've just been released from the hospital like two days ago. And after everything you've been through, I -"

"Hollis!" Lydia interrupted with an exasperated sigh. "I'm fine. I know you're worried but the doctor said I was ready to go back to school. And after being cooped up in that hospital room for days, I need to get out. So, stop. Please."

Hollis nodded sheepishly. The worry for her friends' well-being remained but she kept her mouth shut and buried her concern.

"Now," Lydia said, clasping her hands together as a smile appeared on her face. "Are we going in or what?" Not giving Hollis a chance to reply, she opened the car door and stepped out.

Like any other school day, students moved from the parking lot towards the entrance of the school. Each was absorbed in their conversations, their normal problems. Hollis couldn't help but envy them. After having fought her way into the supernatural club so to speak, her life grew more complicated and endangered each day. She had come to terms with it but now that it began to dig its claws into the lives of her friends, namely Lydia, it put her on edge.

Hollis stepped towards Lydia, adjusting the strap of her bag as she stared at the building before them. A shaky breath left her for reasons she couldn't quite place. Maybe it was having Lydia back or just the horrible memory of the events of the past few days.

"So," Hollis said, trying hard to match Lydia's jovial tone. "Ready to do this?" A moment passed in silence with no reply. "Lyd?" She turned to see Lydia standing perfectly still with lips parted and eyes transfixed on the school. "Hey, what's wrong?" She placed a comforting hand on her arm but got no response or reaction. She followed her gaze to the building, immediately understanding the hesitance that kept Lydia frozen in place.

Before she could utter a word of comfort, a familiar face fought its way through the crowd towards them. Allison stopped before them, excitement gracing her face at seeing the two of them. "There you guys are! I thought we were meeting at..." she trailed off as she caught both of their expressions. "What's going on? Is Lydia okay?"

Hollis opened her mouth and closed it, unsure of how to answer that. "I - She's...,"

"Fine," Lydia said shakily, surprising them both at having spoken. She regained her composure, shoving her true thoughts and emotions down before she plastered on her Lydia-Esque smile. The uncertain expressions on Hollis and Allison's faces only made the redhead roll her eyes. "I had a little moment of panic," she admitted, "but I'm perfectly fine. So, let's go."

Again, Lydia didn't wait for any sort of response. Instead, she strutted her way through the groups of students and towards the main entrance.

Hollis and Allison glanced at one another, both confused at her sudden recovery.

"Uhm, we should probably," Allison started and nodded towards Lydia's disappearing form.

"Yeah, definitely," Hollis agreed.

They hurried across the grounds and caught up to Lydia in a matter of seconds.

"Finally!" Lydia exclaimed, smiling as they neared the entrance. "I thought you two abandoned me."

"Of course we didn't. It's just that...well, you kind of, I mean," Allison rambled, struggling for words. She glanced at Hollis for help.

"I think what Ali's trying to say is that you kind of froze up back there." She ignored the irritated look that drifted across Lydia's face and plunged further into her explanation. "We're both worried, Lyd. Are you sure you're okay? You know you don't have to go back to school today if you're not ready."

Lydia stopped suddenly, causing her friends to almost crash into her. She turned to face them, frustration coating her features. "I'm ready. I have to be," she said, her voice softening towards the end. A faraway look entered her eyes as if experiencing the trauma of the past week all over again. She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts before crossing her arms. "Look. I love that you two care but I'm fine. The doctor's said so."

Hollis wanted to press the issue further but bit her tongue. Instead, she nodded. "Okay. Just know that we're here if you want to talk."

"I know," Lydia said, "but there's nothing to talk about."

"Wait. So, you really don't remember anything?" Allison asked as a mixture of confusion and relief crossed her face.

"Nope," Lydia said with a shrug, as if unaffected with her lack of memory.

Hollis felt the same as Allison. The horrors Lydia went through those last few days was something that anyone would be happy to forget. Though she was happy Lydia remained outside of the supernatural world, it still puzzled her on why she couldn't remember anything.

"That's kind of weird," Hollis commented, more to herself than her friends. But she had said it loud enough to get their attention so she continued. "I mean, I guess it could be PTSD or something like that. But didn't the doctors say why you can't remember?"

Lydia shook her head. "They called it a fugue state. Which is basically a way of saying 'We have no idea why you can't remember running around the woods naked for two days.'" Again, she shrugged as if unaffected by it all. "Personally, I don't care. I lost nine pounds."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Hollis laughed. Lydia's natural ability to find the positive in all things negative never ceased to amaze her. It was how she had been able to get through her dad leaving back in middle school and then again when she lost her parents just a few months ago. Amongst others, it was one of the things Hollis admired about her best friend.

They reached the double doors, and Hollis fell behind with Allison. They hesitated, both unsure if their friend was really ready for this next step.

"You ready for this?" Allison asked tentatively. The question had been asked and answered multiple times but it kept slipping from their mouths.

Lydia rolled her eyes again, throwing an annoyed look at Allison. "Please. It's not like my aunt was a serial killer."

Allison started to reply but stopped, obviously stunned by the remark.

"Ouch," Hollis mumbled, taken aback by her words. As much as she hated Kate for what she'd done, for forcing her dad to turn his back on his friends and become the villain in her story, even she knew it was insensitive to say something like that. "Lydia!"

"What?" Lydia asked innocently.

Hollis tilted her head to the side, silently letting her know what she meant. It didn't appear that Lydia caught on, though. "Despite what Kate did, she was still Ali's family. That was kind of harsh."

Lydia sighed as if annoyed by the mild scolding. "But it was the truth," she answered then turned to Allison where her expression softened some. "I'm sorry, Allison, but I'm not the only one who thinks so. Everyone's talking about it. It's all over the news."

Allison nodded at her apology, forcing out a small smile. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Although Lydia seemed to accept this, Hollis knew that it was just a cover for how she really felt.

"Let's just get to class," Hollis suggested then pulled one of the double doors open, walking in ahead of her friends.

As the three of them entered, everything seemed to freeze. The noise from the multiple conversations ceased, and an awkward silence filled the hallway. It was so thick it could easily be cut with a knife. Dozens of eyes were on them as if studying them, scrutinizing their every move. But it soon became apparent that the center of everyone's undivided attention was Lydia.

Hollis watched Lydia carefully. She tried to gauge her reaction but Lydia remained still, emotionless. It was hard to tell if that was a good sign or not.

"Maybe it's the nine pounds," Allison leaned in to whisper in Lydia's ear.

The stares continued as did the silence. But, after a few seconds, Lydia flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked through the crowd with her head held high.

Hollis smiled proudly at her strength then followed behind with Allison.

The stares continued as the girls made their way to their lockers. Though the intense silence passed, it was now replaced by whispers that followed them like a bad omen. It was hard to drown out the multitude of conversations around them, though they tried. Hollis caught a few words here and there, which painted enough of a picture of what the rest of the student body thought.

About half of the topics revolved around Lydia's near-death experience at the Winter Formal and how that led her to have a mental breakdown. While some seemed genuinely worried about her, others seemed to revel in her misfortune. Smirks graced some of the students' faces, namely the girls, as they passed by Lydia.

Most remained fixated on Lydia's naked run through the woods but others continued to talk about Kate Argent, otherwise known as a heartless killer. Though she didn't agree with what Kate had done, she hated to see Allison subjected to conversations like this. It didn't seem fair to judge one person based off of another's actions. Despite that, there was one thing that Hollis was thankful for and that was the absence of her dad's involvement in all this. It was like no one knew he played a part in the Hale fire and that he trusted and worked alongside Kate before all hell broke loose.

She couldn't imagine whispers about her dad following her throughout the halls. It had been hard enough when people spoke in hushed tones about the accident that took both her mom and stepdad away. But to be subjected to stretched truths and lies would surely push her over the edge.

The sound of giggling broke her out of her thoughts, and Hollis turned towards the sound. A group of girls walked by them, laughing between whispers as they glanced their way.

"Crazy runs in that family. You wouldn't _believe_ the stories I heard," one of the blonde girls said, shooting a judgmental look Allison's way.

"It's probably contagious," her dark-haired friend said, her eyes narrowing in on Lydia. "I mean, in the past week she went from Beacon Hills' popular girl to town freak."

Hollis let out a frustrated sigh, unable to ignore all these comments. "Don't you vultures have lives of your own to discuss?" She asked the group of girls, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or are yours just that pathetic that you need to entertain yourselves with other peoples' problems?"

The group stopped and turned as one to look at Hollis, assessing her quietly. The silence was broken by laughter, their judgmental eyes never leaving her.

"Like I said, crazy is contagious," the dark-haired one said. "I wouldn't be surprised if next week _she_ was the topic of conversation." With that, the group moved along as if their little confrontation never happened.

Hollis balled her hands into tight fists. Her nails dug into her skin but the pain hardly registered in her mind. It wasn't fair. None of it was.

"You didn't have to do that," Allison said, gently.

"Actually, I did," she answered, turning to her friends. "I'm so sick of people talking about your lives like you're not here. Like you didn't just go through something terrible. It's not - It's not right. Or fair."

Allison smiled her thanks but, with a shrug, Lydia said, "Well, I'm perfectly fine. It doesn't bother me."

Both girls gave her a hard look, Allison more so than Hollis.

Under their stares, Lydia sighed. "But...thanks anyway."

Hollis smiled softly, content with Lydia's half-hearted thanks because she knew it was sincere despite how it had sounded.

The warning bell rang, drowning out all other sounds for a few brief seconds. It was deafening, to say the least, but that was its purpose; to get the students' attention and send them off to class.

Hollis groaned inwardly, half ready for this day to end though it had only begun.

"I need to get to history before I'm late," Allison said, once the ringing stopped. "But I'll see you guys later."

"Guess we should get to Algebra," Lydia said a moment later then laughed at the expression on Hollis' face. "Come on, it's not that bad."

"It's _math_," Hollis stated, wrinkling her nose.

"I thought you were doing better. Isn't what's-his-name tutoring you?"

"It's Stiles, and he is. But it's not like I'll suddenly become a math whiz," Hollis explained while they walked. "Besides, the material's getting a lot harder, and there's only so much math I can take before my brain fries."

Lydia nodded understandingly, though a smile slowly formed. "So, have you two been studying or have you been studying?" Her smile stretched as she waited for an answer.

Hollis tilted her head to the side. It only took a few seconds for the meaning behind Lydia's words to sink in and her eyes widened. "Oh, my God. Lydia!" She exclaimed, shaking her head at the innuendo as her face grew warm.

"What?" Lydia asked innocently, though her smile remained. "It's just a question."

"Yeah, but - no, we've studied. Literally studied. That's all, okay?"

"Okay, whatever you say," Lydia said, laughing.

Hollis rolled her eyes and quickened her pace, more than eager to get to class and leave this conversation behind.

As soon as the girls entered the classroom, Hollis pulled out her notebook and flipped to the notes from the previous few classes. She stared down at them, perplexed by what was written though it was all in her handwriting. Algebra would forever be her worst subject, followed by Chemistry, despite the copious amounts of tutoring she received from Stiles. Shaking her head at the problems that started to give her a headache, she held the notebook out to Lydia and said, "Here are the notes you missed."

Lydia merely glanced at the pages before shaking her head. "Thanks but I'll be fine."

"Look, I know you're a math genius and all but you missed a lot. You need these," Hollis said, trying to hand the notebook back to her.

Lydia sighed softly, looking at her sympathetically. "Hollis, I love you. But...these notes are a disaster."

"What? They're not that bad!" Hollis frowned then glanced down at the paper in front of her. The equations were legible enough but it was the explanations of how to solve them that were jumbled and all over the place. Words were crossed out, re-written, highlighted and some sentences were even left unfinished. "Okay, so they're not perfect but -"

Her words were cut off with the slam of the door as Mr. Fields walked to the front of the room. The room grew quiet, all chatter ceasing as he mumbled a greeting to them.

"I'll be fine, Hollis. I'll catch up," Lydia whispered reassuringly then faced forward in her seat.

Mr. Fields began the class with a quick recap of the previous lesson. He explained it quickly, leaving Hollis utterly lost and confused. His words sounded foreign to her ears, the numbers and letters on the board appeared disfigured, as if in an alien language. It frustrated her beyond belief because the last thing she wanted was to fail the class. She had been doing so well but between algebra, chemistry and all problems supernatural related, there was only so much time for additional studying outside of school.

Despite her being completely lost, Hollis struggled to focus.

Mr. Fields assigned several problems for them to do at their desks, and the only sounds were the scratching of pencils on paper. Hollis glanced around the room to see everyone working diligently, even Lydia who didn't appear to be behind whatsoever. She envied her for that, wishing that subjects like this would come naturally to her.

A few problems in, her phone buzzed loudly on the desk. She snatched it up quickly, looking around to see if anyone else had noticed. A few students glanced her way but only briefly, and it didn't appear that Mr. Fields heard anything because he was buried in his newspaper.

Before she could muster the courage to look down at her phone, the screen lit up with a second message and then another directly after that. Holding her phone in her lap, she looked down to see that all messages were from Stiles. She managed to partially read one before two more popped up in their place.

'_Turn around._' One of them read, then was followed by '_I'm out in the hall.'_

Hollis looked over her shoulder to see Stiles standing just outside the classroom. "What?" she mouthed.

Stiles gestured for her to leave the classroom, and when she didn't, he looked down at his phone and typed something.

Her phone buzzed again. Repeatedly. It only stopped when she shot a glare in his direction. Sighing, she glanced down at the unfinished problems before her and then over to Mr. Fields who was still oblivious with her silent conversation with Stiles.

"Uhm, Mr. Fields?" She asked quietly, thankful that he looked up at her words the first time around.

He raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

"Is it - I mean, I need to use the bathroom," she said, hating the few stares thrown her way.

He sighed a bit dramatically but nodded his approval.

Hollis barely made it out into the hallway before Stiles grabbed her hand and pulled her around the corner.

"What's so urgent that it couldn't wait until class was over?" She asked.

"Obviously you didn't read my texts because, if you did, you would know. Life and death here, Hollis. Literally. Well, kind of. But it's insane. We - I mean, Scott found something out. Well, a couple of somethings, actually, and he -"

"Okay, stop," Hollis said, cutting off his rambling. She shook her head to get rid of the confusing words that had been thrown at her. "Just start from the beginning. But slowly this time."

Stiles took a deep breath and let it out, a sheepish look on his face. "Isaac's dad is dead. They think he was murdered."

"What? Are you serious? What happened?"

"I don't know. Scott overheard my dad talking with Isaac, telling him his dad was found dead in his car last night."

"That's terrible! Is Isaac okay?" Despite the rumors circling about Isaac's dad being abusive, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for what happened. Losing a parent was hard.

A long silence stretched before Stiles spoke again. "Not really, no. I mean, obviously, he just found out his dad was murdered. But they took Isaac down to the station to question him."

"Wait. They think he killed his dad?" Hollis asked incredulously.

"They didn't exactly put it like that but... I mean, it's not exactly insane to think that considering how horrible his dad was," he said with a shrug. "Besides, if he did, and I'm not saying he did, maybe he doesn't remember doing it."

Hollis narrowed her eyes at those words. "So, you think he went all Norman Bates on his dad?"

"Kind of," Stiles said, nervously moving his hand to the back of his neck.

She looked towards Stiles questioningly, waiting for some sort of answer. "So, what are you saying?" _Or not saying_, she thought afterward. There was some part of the story that was missing.

Stiles sighed, nodding to himself as if making up his mind about something. "That's the other thing Scott found out. About Isaac, I mean. We were at practice and... Well, it was before practice. In the locker room. Scott scented another one. A," he looked around the empty hallway before lowering his voice even more, "_werewolf_. He didn't know who it was until we got out onto the field to practice," he rambled nervously. "So, long story short, I had a plan. Scott switched places with Danny and took the goalie position so he could, you know, smell out whoever it was that was the werewolf. Coach wasn't too happy, especially with Scott leaving the goal and tackling everyone every few minutes. But, anyway, it turned out it was Isaac."

Hollis absorbed the information and shook her head as it was all too much to process. It felt like everything they had gone through just a few short months ago was starting all over. Like they were right back at the beginning.

"So, the other day when you thought Isaac was hiding something, I think it was this. Not his dad being killed because, obviously, he was still alive but the fact that he turned," Stiles continued, breaking through her tumultuous thoughts.

"It's possible," Hollis said quietly, thinking back to that day. "So, what's going to happen now? To Isaac, I mean?"

"They'll probably hold him for twenty-four hours."

"But you said they don't think he's a suspect. That's not -"

"Fair? No, it's not. But they need to figure out who did it and, with Isaac not having any other family, they'll likely to keep him there," Stiles said with a big sigh. "And tonight's the full moon, too."

"What does that... Oh," Hollis said, realizing the meaning of that sentence. "I'm guessing the cell won't be able to hold him when he, you know, turns."

Stiles shook his head solemnly.

Hollis frowned and let that troublesome thought sink in. She ran her hands through her hair, letting out a sigh. "We have to help him, Stiles. We can't just let him get locked up and then possibly hurt someone when he shifts."

"I know," he agreed.

She looked up at him, searching his face for answers. "But what can we do? I mean, he's probably behind bars, and I'm pretty sure breaking someone out of jail isn't exactly on the legal side of things."

Stiles shook his head, looking just as confused as she was. "I don't know," he answered honestly. Then, putting his hands on her arms, he said, "But we'll figure it out." With a reassuring smile, he kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug.

— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —

"So," Lydia started, linking arms with Hollis as they entered the crowded hallway. "What was so important that you had to leave in the middle of class to talk to Stiles for?"

"Oh, um... What?" Hollis asked, caught off guard by the sudden question.

Lydia rolled her eyes, letting out a long sigh. "I have ears, Hollis. Your phone kept buzzing every few seconds. Besides, it was hard not to notice Stiles frantically trying to get your attention. So, spill. What's going on?"

Hollis tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, all the while trying to figure out what to tell her. She hated lying to her about this, knowing how much it had hurt to be kept in the dark all that time. But after everything Lydia endured the past few days, keeping her safe outweighed being honest. "He just wanted to check up on me since we didn't get a chance to talk this morning," she finally said, throwing a look Lydia's way to see if her explanation was believable.

"Not enough info. Keep going," Lydia said.

She stifled a sigh at her friend's persistence in knowing everything. "My dad and I got into another fight, so things have been kind of awkward at home." Despite it not being what she and Stiles talked about, it was the truth. Things were stressful at home with her avoiding her dad at all costs. Again. Every conversation they were forced to have was strained and curt.

Lydia stopped and pulled Hollis off to the side. "Why don't I know about this?"

"You've had your problems these past few days, Lyd. I didn't want to add mine on top of everything else."

"I'm your best friend, Hollis. You should've told me," she said, worry written across her face.

Hollis nodded, managing a small smile. "You're right, I'm sorry. I promise to tell you everything from now on, okay?"

Satisfied, Lydia nodded and linked arms with her again. "Good. Just because I was attacked by a wild animal, lost my mind and ran naked through the woods for a few days doesn't mean I'm not here for you when you have your problems."

Hollis smiled at her best friend, at her ability to put aside her problems for her friends. Curiously, she glanced at her. "Hey, so since we're talking about everything that's happened," she started, somewhat nervously, "how are you doing? I mean, honestly. You can tell me anything, you know that." She held her breath as she waited, wishing for Lydia to open up to her and not brush off her near-death experience.

Lydia sighed, and Hollis was sure that it would be the end of the conversation. Either that or she would get another 'I'm fine' response. But, surprisingly, neither of those happened.

"I almost died," Lydia said matter-of-factly but her expression showed the fear and realization of what had occurred. "I honestly don't even know what happened on the day of the dance. It's just a big blur."

"You went looking for Jackson, and then got attacked by a wer...a wild animal," Hollis said, fumbling at the word that almost left her lips. "I went looking for you and found you unconscious on the lacrosse field. You were losing a lot of blood. I honestly didn't know what to do. I was so scared of losing my best friend but Jackson found us. If he hadn't shown up, it probably would've been...," she trailed off, trying to block out the morbid thought. It all was in the past. Her best friend was alive and well, standing beside her. "But he got there in time."

Lydia mulled over the recap of that horrible night. "Jackson saved me?" She asked quietly as if she didn't believe it.

Hollis nodded. "Yeah, he was worried about you. I mean, we all were but Jackson even spent a good portion of the night at the hospital. The doctors wouldn't let us see you but he refused to leave."

"I didn't know any of that," she admitted.

"Well, you were unconscious. Then you kind of ran away and there was no way to tell you any of it," she said half-jokingly. "But we're all glad you're okay."

— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —

The remainder of the morning went by slowly. Hollis was lost in her thoughts throughout most of her classes; thoughts filled with Isaac being a werewolf and the fact that Mr. Lahey had been murdered the previous night. It was a lot to process, especially without all the facts. Stiles had filled her in as best he could but, given the time restraints, a lot had been left out of the conversation. Such as how Isaac turned, who was responsible for it and everything involving Mr. Lahey's death. During those few classes, Hollis tried to fill in those missing pieces but it was near impossible. If anything, it left her with more questions than answers.

However, not only did she believe Isaac to be innocent but she knew it was vital to get him out of jail. She remembered Scott during the full moon and couldn't imagine the troubles that Isaac would put himself and others in if he turned while behind bars. Just the thought sent a chill down her spine.

One more class remained before lunch, and Hollis quickened her pace towards Chemistry for the first time in her life. If she arrived before Harris did, she would be able to get more information out of Scott and Stiles and possibly formulate a plan that wouldn't get them all arrested.

The classroom was barely full when she entered, and a satisfied expression crossed her face when there was no sign of Harris. A few minutes remained before the class would start, so she hurried over to her desk. Scott and Stiles were already seated and in a heated conversation by the time she sat down. She turned towards them, catching the last bit of Scott's words.

"...not sure. But we need to -" Scott broke off, noticing Hollis. "Hey, we were just talking about Isaac. He was -"

"Yeah, I know," Hollis interrupted, eager to get straight down to business. "Stiles filled me in earlier."

"Kind of," Stiles added. "I didn't tell her everything because there wasn't much time to talk but, you know, just the basics."

Hollis nodded to his words. She glanced at the door to make sure they wouldn't be cut off by Harris but the only people walking into the room were students. "So, were you guys able to figure anything else out?"

"Not really," Scott said with a look of defeat. "We were trying to find out how he turned, though. We can rule out Peter because he's dead, and then that omega from the night we found Lydia was also killed."

Hollis winced slightly at the mention of the killing as it brought back unpleasant images. She shook off her emotions, though and focused on the here and now. It was a good question on who could have turned Isaac seeing as how there weren't many werewolves in Beacon Hills...none that she knew of, anyway.

"So, we don't know who else it could have been. I didn't get a chance to ask Isaac but he might not have known. When I got bit, I didn't know who it was until later," Scott said, breaking Hollis out of her thoughts.

"There is someone who could've turned him," Hollis said once realization struck her. She looked from Stiles to Scott but neither of them seemed to catch on.

Scott's eyes got big, and he shook his head. "It wasn't me! I think I would've remembered. Or at least told you."

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "I know it's not you. I was talking about Derek."

At the same time, they both understood and nodded.

"Oh, right. Yeah, yeah, of course. Derek," Stiles rambled while he nodded to emphasize his understanding even more.

"But why would Derek do that?" Scott asked.

They fell silent once more as they each tried to come up with an answer that would make the most sense.

"He's an Alpha now, right?" Hollis asked and, when both of them nodded, she continued. "Scott, you told me that an Alpha is stronger when he has a pack. So, what if that's exactly what Derek is trying to do? Build a pack?"

Scott and Stiles exchanged another look, mulling over her suggestion.

"Yeah, it's definitely possible," Scott said with a nod. "It'll make him faster and stronger. Better in every sense of the word."

Despite being right, Hollis couldn't help but be worried. If Derek was forming a pack, would that be a good or bad thing? That unanswered, unexplainable question left a pit in her stomach. She opened her mouth to speak up but, at that exact moment, a hush fell over the room, and Harris walked in. He barely acknowledged them all as he dropped his briefcase and stack of papers on the desk. With a quick look around the room, he turned to the board and began to write.

Hollis looked away from the notes, already feeling a headache coming on.

A few seconds passed in silence before Scott spoke up again in a hushed whisper. "But why would Derek pick Isaac?" He leaned across the desk to include both Stiles and Hollis in the conversation.

"Peter told me if the bite doesn't turn you, it'll kill you. Maybe teenagers have a better chance of surviving," Stiles suggested.

"Maybe. I don't know," Hollis said with a sigh, still unfamiliar to how the bite worked. Every piece of research she did wasn't credible, only circumstantial. From the mountains of sites and books she had read, there was no right answer. While Hollis continued to work on Stiles' previous answer, Scott had another thought.

"Doesn't being a teenager mean your dad won't hold him?" Scott asked hopefully.

"Not if they have solid evidence," Stiles answered.

"Or a witness, right?" Hollis asked.

"Right," Stiles nodded then scanned the room abruptly, his face creased with worry. "Wait...Where the hell's Jackson?"

"What does Jackson have to do with this?" Hollis muttered, growing more confused from the conversation than the chemistry lesson she wasn't paying attention to.

Scott shrugged, looking just as confused as Hollis felt.

Stiles ignored their questions and instead continued his search of the room. "Danny? Where's Jackson?"

"In the Principal's Office talking to your dad," Danny answered.

"What? Why?" Stiles asked.

"Maybe because he lives right across the street from Isaac," Danny said slowly as if that should be common knowledge.

Stiles, Hollis, and Scott shared a panicked look.

"Witness," Scott whispered.

"What do we do?" Hollis asked, her voice rising in panic.

"We need to get to the Principal's Office. Now," Stiles decided after a minute.

"How?" Scott asked, but Stiles was already on it.

Hollis narrowed her eyes at the mischievous look that crossed his face. "What are you going to do?" She asked, though she really didn't want to know what kind of idea he had brewing in his head.

"Don't worry," Stiles told her. "I got an idea."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered.

"Okay, everyone," Harris said, his voice rising above the chatter, oblivious to the hushed conversation that the three of them had. "Please turn to page -" But before he could finish his sentence, a crumpled up piece of paper hit him on the back of the head. Silence overtook the room.

Hollis stared in horror at Stiles, who casually sat as if nothing had happened. "Are you serious right now?" She whisper-yelled, tilting her head.

"We need to get to the principal's office," Stiles whispered back.

"And throwing paper at Harris was the way to do it?" She asked incredulously. "I mean, he kind of deserves it but...that's beside the point."

Stiles shrugged.

"Who the hell did that?" Harris asked, his glare piercing the entire room but landing on the three of them as if already knowing the answer.

Hollis shrank back in her seat while Scott and Stiles both pointed fingers at one another.

"To the principal's office. Now," Harris said. Scott, Stiles, and Hollis stood up as one but Harris raised a hand to stop them. "Not you," he said, motioning for Hollis to sit.

"But -" she started, unsure of what argument she was trying to make.

"You want to go to the principal's office?" Harris asked, highly amused. "As much as I would _love_ to see you get a week's worth of detention for assaulting a teacher, unfortunately, you're innocent. Your idiot friends, on the other hand, aren't. So, sit down and don't give me a reason to punish you as well."

"It's okay," Stiles whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before heading towards the door with Scott.

Reluctantly, she sat back down. Truthfully, she would have preferred to go with Scott and Stiles; not only would it get her out of class but she would be able to find out what it was that Jackson had told Sheriff Stilinski. The not knowing part was eating away at her, making her unable to concentrate on the lesson that began. Everything that came out of Harris's mouth was gibberish, and she was already hopelessly lost. The notes she took down made no sense but, at the moment, she didn't care.

As the class continued, Hollis stared at the clock and willed the minutes to go by faster. Of course, they didn't. Time seemed to slow down altogether. With a frustrated sigh, she tapped her pen against her notebook, only semi-aware of the glare Harris sent her way each time her pen hit the paper. She didn't care, though. All she wanted was for the class to end. Chemistry was painful enough to sit through without having to think about the conversation going on in the principal's office at that very moment.

"Yes?" Harris asked, impatience coated in the three-letter word.

It took Hollis a moment to figure out his question was directed at her. At first, she was confused about why but then realized her hand was raised.

"Did you need something or are you trying to waste everyone's time?" Harris asked again. "Including mine."

A few people snickered near the back, and Hollis lowered her arm. She could feel Harris' eyes on her, impatiently waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, I um, I," she stuttered. "I need to be excused." Grabbing her books, she swung her bag over her shoulder and raced towards the door.

"I didn't give you permission to leave!" Harris yelled after her but she ignored him, closing the door and finding herself alone in the hallway. Her heart pounded, knowing she would be in serious trouble for leaving class without permission. But, at that moment, she didn't care. She slowed her breathing, focusing on the _'one in, one out_' mantra in her head until her heart rate returned to normal.

She rounded the corner, stopping short at the principal's office. The door was slightly ajar, and voices spilled out into the hallway.

"- the most accomplished, but I see you've become quite a star athlete. Mr. Stilinski. Perfect grades but little to no extracurriculars. Maybe you should try lacrosse."

The voice was familiar and sent a chill down her spine. Hollis had heard it somewhere before but couldn't quite place who it belonged to. With her breath held, she snuck a glance into the room. Seeing Gerard Argent sitting comfortably behind the principals' desk made her heart sink and her pulse quicken.

_What the hell is he doing here?_ She thought to herself. The last image of Gerard she had was the night he killed the omega. She felt sickened knowing that he was the principal now. How that even happened, she didn't know but the dread grew with each passing second.

"Maybe you could come over for dinner sometime. I'm a very good cook," Gerard said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Dinner?" Scott asked, the confusion obvious in his voice. The entire conversation and situation were completely bizarre.

"Yes. Dinner," Gerard said with all merriment in his voice. Despite the joyfulness in his voice, Hollis knew him for who he truly was. A killer. "Who knows, maybe we can re-spark that romance." A silent, almost awkward moment passed. "Listen, guys, yes, I'm the Principal but I really don't want you to think of me as the enemy."

Hollis scoffed at that comment, while she heard Stiles say, "Is that so?"

"I plan to be outside of my office as much possible. I want to be visible, accessible. Always keeping an eye on my students. Like an older brother keeping a protective eye on his sibling," Gerard explained in a calm yet commanding voice.

_Just like he addressed the hunters that night_,Hollis thought to herself.

"We'll just call you Big Brother," Stiles said. The sarcasm dripped from his words, and Hollis couldn't help but smile.

Gerard chuckled. "Clever, Mr. Stilinski. I think I'm going to like you. I'm not that strict, though. However, being that it's my first day, I do need to support my teachers. Unfortunately, someone's going to have to take the fall and stay for detention."

A long silence stretched as if deciding on who it would be.

"Fine," she heard Stiles mutter under his breath with a resigned sigh.

"Great!" Gerard said, clapping his hands. "Now that that's settled, you boys are free to go. Stiles, report to Mr. Harris after school for detention and, Scott, I hope you'll stop by for dinner soon."

Hollis paced the room outside the office despite having heard the entire conversation. It was bothersome that Gerard had somehow made his way into the school and obtained the position of principal. None of it made any sense. But then again, the lives they led made very little sense, to begin with.

Moments later, the office door opened letting Scott and Stiles out.

"Hey! What are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you but, you know, Harris said you didn't need to come here," Stiles said, clearly taken aback by her presence. "Wait...you didn't do anything stupid to get sent here, did you?"

Hollis shook her head. "No, I just needed to know what was going on." She paused for a moment, thinking back to her grand exit from Chemistry. Inwardly, she groaned at the prospect of detention being a possibility for leaving without permission.

"So, Harris just let you go?" Scott asked.

"Actually, I kind of...left," Hollis said, then added sheepishly, "without permission."

"That's my girl!" Stiles nodded, a proud smile on his face. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

A small smile formed at his words but she shook her head. "So, what the hell is going on, you guys? Why is Gerard Argent the principal?!"

Stiles took her by the elbow and pulled her away from the principal's office. Once they were out of earshot, he began to talk. "Well, my theory is that he's obviously been planted here by someone from the Argent family." With a quick look at Scott, he shrugged. "Sorry, buddy, but that family is crazy. Except for Allison, of course. But they're clearly up to something and getting Grandpa Crazy to be in charge of the school is plan one."

"Okay, but why?" Hollis agreed with Stiles about Gerard being put into the school for a reason but beyond that, she was clueless.

"Probably to see if any other werewolves are roaming around the school," Scott spoke up. "He's a trained hunter and, from what Hollis and I witnessed that night, he's scary good. So, if anyone can spot a werewolf it's him."

"Great," she said under her breath. The information was unsettling but there was no time to dwell on that. "So, what's our plan? Did you find anything out about Isaac?"

"Not really," Stiles said. "Jackson's definitely a witness, though. He knew Isaac's dad was beating the crap out of him, so that gives him a motive for wanting his dad dead."

"But he didn't do it," Hollis said defensively. "Look, I know I don't know him that well but I don't think he would do that even if he did wolf out or whatever."

"I'm with Hollis on this," Scott said. "There's something else out there and we need to figure out what it is. We need to get Isaac out of jail."

"And how do we do that? We can't just break into the police station and get Isaac out without being noticed." Hollis looked from one to the other, hoping that someone would have a better plan other than 'get Isaac out of jail'. It was a goal but it wasn't anything concrete.

"You're forgetting that my dad's the Sheriff. I got this," Stiles said with a confident nod and a wink.

"Do you?" Hollis raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Because I'm pretty sure you'll be stuck in detention with Harris this afternoon."

Stiles narrowed his eyes in a playful glare. "Thanks, I'm aware of that. But, I don't know. We can -"

A locker door slammed shut somewhere down the hall, and Hollis's attention was drawn towards it. She didn't hear the rest of Stiles' words as she focused mainly on the conversation that was taking place elsewhere. The familiar voices of Jackson and Lydia drew her in.

"What do you think?" Scott asked, pulling Hollis from the other conversation.

"Sorry. I zoned out for a second," she admitted. "But can I catch up with you guys later?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure," Stiles said. "Everything okay, though?"

With a smile, she nodded. "I just need to check on Lydia." With that, she excused herself and followed the voices until she spotted Lydia and Jackson further down the hall. An impatient scowl was positioned on Jackson's face as if having to talk to Lydia was a complete waste of his time.

"Hollis said if you hadn't found me and carried me back I could have died," Lydia said, her voice quiet and almost nervous. "So I wanted... I wanted to thank you."

Jackson narrowed his eyes, suspicion taking place of the impatience. "We're not getting back together."

"What?" Lydia asked, taken aback.

"And just because I kept you from bleeding out on a field once, don't expect me to come running every time you start screaming," he said with all of his arrogance.

"I never said -" Lydia started but Jackson cut her off.

Slamming his hand against the wall behind her, he moved in close and yelled, "I'm not responsible for you!"

Hollis frowned as Lydia flinched from his words as if physically struck. Unable to stand back and watch her friend get treated this way, she moved towards them with purpose. "What the hell has gotten into you?" She asked once she stopped beside Lydia. "You don't have to be such an ass. Lydia's just thanking you for helping her out."

"Hollis, it's okay," Lydia said though her voice shook from Jackson's outburst.

"No, it's not okay." Hollis shook her head, turning her glare back at Jackson who stood there smugly. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? You were so worried about her and now...what?"

"She survived. I'm not her keeper," Jackson said with a shrug. "Obviously, she can't handle the fact that I dumped her like last night's trash so she's trying to get on my good side so I'll take her back."

Hollis rolled her eyes with a scoff. How she had believed that Jackson changed, she didn't know. He was still the same pompous jerk he'd always been. "You really are something, you know that?"

Jackson brushed off the insult or perhaps didn't take it as one. "I knew the time would come that you'd regret being with that Stilinski kid but sorry, I'm not interested." He looked at them smugly before adding, "In either of you."

She shared a look with Lydia, annoyance marking each of their expressions.

"But I'll give you one piece of advice. If I were you two, I'd stay home tonight," he told them before walking away.

That piece of advice stunned her, and Hollis didn't know how to take it. It sounded like a warning but it piqued her interest nevertheless.

"What do you mean? What's tonight?" Hollis called after him.

Jackson turned back with an ominous smile, a knowing look geared towards Hollis.

"It's the full moon."

"What do you think he meant by that?" Lydia asked once he left.

Hollis had a couple of ideas but kept them to herself. With a smile and a shake of her head, she shrugged. "Who knows. It's Jackson."

Lydia didn't look too convinced but nodded. "True."

"Look, forget what he said. He's being an ass like always, and you don't deserve that," she told her sincerely.

Lydia forced a smile, brushing off Jackson's earlier words even though they had hurt her. "It's fine. I'm fine."

Hollis studied her friend carefully. It was obvious this was another one of Lydia's coping mechanisms but she kept her mouth shut this time. "Hey," she started with a smile, "How about we hang out after school? Like old times. We can invite Ally, too."

A smile lit up Lydia's face, and she nodded. "I'd like that."

"Great!" Her excitement at a girls' night in grew. It had been a while since the three of them did something that didn't involve anything supernatural. A break was exactly what they needed, even Lydia who remained clueless about the werewolves and hunters that roamed their small town.

"Griffin!" A voice yelled from down the hall.

Hollis knew who the voice belonged to long before Mr. Harris appeared behind her. A sneer was already in place as he looked down at her.

"You didn't think I would let you get away with walking out of class without some sort of punishment, did you?" He questioned.

She sighed then shook her head. "When?"

"After school," Harris said matter-of-factly and walked away, probably to harass another poor unsuspecting student.

"Great," she muttered then looked towards Lydia with a frown. "I'm sorry, Lyd. Can we raincheck?"

"Of course," Lydia said though a trace of disappointment remained despite the smile on her face. "Want me to wait for you? I did drive us today."

Hollis shook her head in response. "I'll just get a ride home from Stiles. He's -"

"Let me guess," Lydia interrupted, "he's in detention, too?" She shook her head, her words and expression laced with a hint of disapproval.

"Yeah," she said with a nod but didn't delve into a deeper explanation. If she did, Lydia would be left with more questions than answers. Questions that Hollis simply couldn't answer without pulling the door to the supernatural world open for her friend. Instead, she chose to change the subject just as the bell rang. "But do you want me to come over after? We can still do something."

"Actually," Lydia said, shifting her bag. "I should probably work on homework tonight. I have a lot to catch up on since I was MIA for a while." She paused for a moment, catching the subtle disappointed look cross her friend's face. "But how about this weekend?" She offered.

A smile lit up her face, and she nodded. "Sounds good."

_**hey. hi. hello.**_

Thank you so much for reading ❤ I know I've been super slow in updating this story but the past year has been really tough, and I haven't had the time or the creativity to sit down and write. I'm going to try my best to update more often. I also have ideas for other stories (main fanfiction) that I'm trying to get started so I guess we'll see what happens with those.

With that said, please let me know what you guys think! Isaac is definitely going to have more of a role in the upcoming chapters. How do you think the relationship between Hollis and Isaac will be like? Friends, frenemies, etc.

Like always, don't forget to hit the little ⁺ sign on the top right of your screen and please leave me comments (reviews, critiques, ideas, etc.) down below! I want to hear your thoughts :)


	7. 4

"So, that was brutal," Stiles said once they were outside the school walls. "Harris didn't even say one word the entire time we were there."

The day had darkened since the start of detention, and now night had fallen over Beacon Hills. With the last remnants of the sun disappearing, the February air grew colder. Hollis couldn't help but shiver as she hugged her jacket closer, hoping to keep even a fraction of the cold out. It was a futile attempt, the chilly air unforgiving.

"Right? He just... stared at us. It was more than creepy," she replied, wrinkling her nose at the unpleasant memory. The only upside to the unbearable ninety minutes was that Stiles had been with her. She couldn't imagine it being just her with Harris for that length of time. The class itself was terrible, let alone detention. A few moments passed in silence as the two walked across the nearly empty parking lot. A few cars remained behind, making it easy to navigate and find the blue Jeep. "You're okay with driving me home, right?"

"Wait." Stiles deadpanned and stopped mid-step. "I thought Lydia was driving you home."

Hollis stopped, matching the surprise on his face. "O-oh, um, I guess I -" She adjusted the strap of her bag, feeling more awkward with each passing second. "Since we both had detention, I..."

"I'm kidding!" Stiles laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulders despite the glare she shot his way.

"You're such a jerk!" She elbowed him in the side, though it did little to deter his laughing fit. "I hate you," she mumbled under her breath.

"Hollis, you should have seen your face," he continued between laughs, shaking his head. "Did you actually think I would abandon you?"

Hollis shrugged, though she knew the answer was 'no'. However, the way she saw it, there was nothing wrong with having a little fun and pretending to be mad. At least for a little while.

Again, he shook his head. "You know I would never do that."

Hollis didn't bother to reply but rolled her eyes. She could feel her facade cracking and tried hard to keep the smile down. "You're still a jerk," she said after a few seconds, pushing his arm away. She quickened her pace towards the Jeep, leaving a still laughing Stiles behind.

"Hey! Wait up!" Stiles took a few steps and caught up to her, unable to keep the smile from his face. "Well, guess I'll see you tomorrow," he joked as he dug the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the car.

"Ha, ha," Hollis said dryly, brushing past him and getting into the car.

The drivers' side door opened seconds later, and Stiles got in. With the engine turned on, the car came to life. Music flooded through the speakers with an upbeat tune.

"Did you want to get something to eat before I drive you home?" After a few seconds passed by with no reply, he looked towards her. "You're not really mad at me, are you?" He asked with concern.

"Wh-what?" Hollis glanced up from her phone, taking a moment to process his words. She noticed the worried look on his face and shook her head. "No, of course not. I'm just checking all these missed calls and texts." She held her phone up for him to see, then motioned towards his phone, which lay in the cupholder. "Did you get anything from Ali?"

"Oh, crap. I forgot to turn mine on." He reached for his phone and waited a minute for it to turn on. His eyes widened at the mass of missed messages and held the phone up for her to see. "Uh, yeah, you can say that."

Worry spread through her as her thoughts carried her away to worst-case scenarios. Hollis gulped down a lungful of air, hoping to keep the panic at bay, but her anxiety had a mind of its own. It tightly wound itself around her, refusing to let go. Something was wrong. It had to be if Allison tried reaching both of them multiple times in a row. But what that something was, Hollis didn't know. She only knew that she wouldn't like it, and her rapidly increasing heart rate made that clear.

Before she could voice her worries, Stiles' phone rang.

"It's her," Stiles said, scrambling to answer it. "H-hey, what's up?" He listened for a moment, nodding now and then. "Hold on, let me put you on speaker. Hollis is here, too."

"Where have you guys been?!" Allison's panicked voice filled the space of the car.

Hollis took a moment before answering, hoping to keep the worry out of her voice. "Detention with Harris," Hollis said with a sigh as if the very words brought her pain.

"Harris literally just let us out of detention. Literally. And he had our phones the whole time," Stiles added. "We're leaving the school right now," he said as he handed Hollis the phone. The tires squealed in protest as he took a sharp turn, shooting her an apologetic look as he let off the gas a little.

"Well, we need to do something right now," Allison said.

"Do something about what?" Hollis questioned as the anxiety intensified. A big part of her didn't want to know because, once it was said, there was no taking it back. She longed for the days of normalcy where her only worry was homework or how to cure her boredom. As the days progressed, as did more problems. Supernatural problems that Hollis now wished she could avoid. "What's going on?"

Allison took a deep breath on the other line and released it slowly. "They were asking me all these questions about Lydia and how she was bitten by Peter. And then they sent this guy out -"

"What guy?" Stiles interrupted, exchanging a confused look with Hollis.

"He was dressed as a Sheriff's Deputy," Allison answered.

"They're sending him to the station," Hollis whispered, understanding why Allison had been so hellbent on reaching them.

"Why would they do that?" Stiles asked, not seeming to grasp the situation. Or perhaps not wanting to. Maybe he wanted all of this to be over just as much as she did.

"For Isaac." Hollis fidgeted in her seat, unable to get rid of the anxious thoughts and feelings. Once again, another innocent person was being dragged into the midst of the supernatural world that was so well hidden in Beacon Hills. First Lydia, now Isaac. Who else would this affect? She didn't even want to think about that right now.

"He was also carrying this box and there was something on it," Allison said, breaking through her thoughts. "Like a carving."

"What was it?" Stiles asked.

"Hold on. It's in one of the books. I'm taking a picture."

The soft sound of pages flipping filled the silence. Each second that Allison searched felt like an eternity. A soft ping sounded just as Allison asked, "Did you get it?"

"Uh, yeah, hold on," Hollis said then opened the message. A picture of a familiar flower appeared on the screen, but she couldn't figure out the name. She turned the screen towards Stiles, who briefly took his eyes off of the winding road.

"Wolfsbane," he said with a sigh, a look of worry on his face.

"What does it mean?" Allison asked.

Stiles paused, throwing a look at Hollis before he answered. "It means they're gonna kill him."

His words stunned her, throwing her mind into overdrive. Each thought that entered her panicked mind was worse than the last. The situation was more grim than she could have imagined. Hollis didn't see how they could even come close to saving Isaac, not after witnessing firsthand just what the hunters were capable of. The memory of Gerard in the woods the other night made her sick to her stomach. With a shaky breath, she looked out the window, but the view offered little to calm her. Nothing but trees and darkness went past them in a blur.

"Hey," Stiles said gently, pulling her attention away from the window. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't think we can do this," she breathed, shaking her head. She hated admitting that. Even saying the words sickened her but, no matter how much she thought about it, Hollis couldn't see how they could succeed.

"There's no way we're giving up, Hollis." Stiles shook his head. "We've been up against worse. We can do this."

"No, we can't, Stiles," she said. "How are we supposed to stop a hunter? I mean, we don't even know how many Argent sent out."

Stiles reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I know you, and I know that you would never forgive yourself if you did nothing," he said and then added, "We have to at least try."

Deep down, Hollis knew he was right. Doing nothing would surely result in Isaac's death. But breaking him out of jail and stopping a hunter (or more) from killing him were two completely different tasks. The first was tricky but doable. The latter seemed, and probably was, impossible. But Hollis had to put her own doubts and feelings on hold. This was about Isaac and, like Stiles said, they had to try.

"You're right," Hollis said after a few seconds. The doubt and fear remained, but she pushed it as far down as possible. Now that she agreed, she couldn't let that get in the way. "So, how are we going to do this?"

"Well, every rescue operation starts with a plan," Stiles said. "And everyone knows I'm the plan guy."

Hollis tilted her head, turning towards him with a bemused look on her face. "Um, your last plan landed you in detention. _Again_."

Stiles narrowed his eyes at her, but a smile played on his face. "I never said my plans were good." He paused, focusing on the road in front of him. "But this one will be," he added confidently.

"Oh, boy," Hollis said with a sigh, not sure if she was mentally prepared for another one of Stiles' ideas.

"You guys," Allison's voice floated out through the speaker, "we're kind of running out of time here. If you have a plan, let's hear it."

"Well, plan guy, what do you have?" Hollis asked.

The air was heavy with anticipation while Stiles thought. Seconds passed in silence before he nodded to himself, seemingly happy with his idea. "Allison, can you stall the hunter long enough for me and Hollis to get to the police station?"

"Yeah, definitely," she replied.

Hollis smiled softly, so far satisfied with this part of the plan. If this worked, then it would give them an upper hand in helping Isaac. But her smile quickly faded as she thought about other problems that stood in their way. Although slowing down the hunter was a great start, it wasn't the only issue they faced. There was still the matter of getting into a police jail cell unnoticed and stopping a hunter, if it came to that. All these thoughts floating through her mind made her realize that something was missing from this plan. Or, in this case, someone.

"I think we're going to need backup," Hollis spoke up.

"For what? We get in and -"

"And then what?" She questioned. "Stiles, we're _literally_ breaking into a police station to help Isaac. What do we do if we run into more hunters? Or if Isaac wolfs out or whatever?"

"Not sure about the first one, but I've helped Scott ever since he turned," Stiles answered.

"Because Scott trusted you. He's known you for like ever," Hollis argued. "Isaac doesn't know us other than from school. And we can't exactly say that we're friends with him. If it's his first time turning, I don't think your Jedi powers will be much help."

Stiles stayed quiet, thinking over her words. After a few seconds, he nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, okay. You're right. We'll get Scott to meet us there."

"Actually," Hollis started, averting his gaze. She fidgeted in her seat, absentmindedly picking at her nail polish. "I was thinking of someone else."

Confused, he took his eyes off the road to look at her. "Who else is there? The only other werewolf we know of is -" His eyes widened with realization, and he fervently shook his head. "No. No way, Hollis. We're not asking Derek Hale for help."

Although she had expected this reaction, she couldn't help but feel frustrated. "He's our best bet in helping Isaac."

"She's right, you know," Allison chirped up reluctantly.

Stiles shook his head in disagreement. "Look, I don't trust him. After everything that he's done from betraying Scott to -"

"I know. I don't either but," she trailed off, unsure how to proceed with her argument. It all sounded good in her mind, but putting it into words was difficult. Especially since she needed to convince Stiles this was their best move.

"You really think he'll want to help Isaac?" He asked, to which she nodded. "Why?"

"Because he turned him," Allison explained, voicing Hollis' exact thoughts. "Technically, that makes Isaac a part of his pack."

Hollis nodded along, thankful for Allison's help. She wasn't at all thrilled in asking for Derek's help, especially not with the way their last encounter had gone. But it was the right decision. He had more experience with the supernatural world than any of them and, if they came across a hunter, Derek would be a much better match against him than them.

"Fine," Stiles muttered, shaking his head. "I'll call Scott to get Derek to meet us there. Allison, call me back after you stall him." As soon as Allison hung up, he took the phone from her to call Scott.

"Will he do it?" Hollis asked tentatively once the brief conversation ended.

"Yeah, he's actually with Derek right now. He'll meet us there," Stiles answered.

"Good," she breathed with a small nod.

Although their plan was coming together, there was still a lot on her mind that troubled her. It was a never-ending series of problems, and it has troubled Hollis since she first found out about the supernatural world. How could she not be worried when every day there seemed to be some new danger that lurked in the shadows? She longed for the days of normalcy; where she would spend her free time reading and hanging out with Lydia. But that life was gone and, with the way things were going, it didn't look like it would end anytime soon.

Frowning, she looked out the window, but it did little to distract her busy mind.

"We're almost there," Stiles said minutes later, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Hollis sat up straighter, watching as the dense forest on either side of them thinned out. Familiar landmarks and stores came into view, and she knew it would only be a matter of minutes until they arrived. She nervously glanced at Stiles, but his focus was entirely on the road ahead. "Stiles, are we okay?"

"Y-yeah, of course," Stiles answered, tearing his eyes away from the road to look at her. "Why? Why wouldn't we be?"

She shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Because I suggested we get Derek to help. I know you weren't exactly on board with the plan so," she trailed off, keeping her eyes down.

"You think I would be mad at you for that? Come on, Hollis. Just because I'm not crazy about the plan doesn't mean I hate you for thinking it up. I trust you." Stiles smiled, then reached over the console and took hold of her hand. "We're okay, I promise."

Hollis returned the smile, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. But before she could say anything else, the phone rang. Seeing that it was Allison, she once again put it on speaker.

"Did you slow him down?" Hollis asked almost immediately.

"You could say that," Allison answered.

"Okay. We're headed to the station," Stiles said, pressing down on the gas a little more and narrowly passing a yellow light.

"Where's Scott?" Allison asked.

"Isaac's," Stiles told her. "But he got Derek to meet us. I'm still not too happy with it but, unfortunately, we don't have time to come up with anything better."

— ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ ❊ —

"Is he here yet?" Hollis peered out the window, struggling to see anything in the dimly lit parking lot.

Stiles shrugged but kept his eyes focused on the area surrounding the Sheriff's Station. Seconds later, he sat up straighter and nudged her. "I think that's him."

Hollis followed his line of sight but couldn't see anything beyond the shadows. She sighed in frustration as she squinted her eyes, hoping to see something. A car drove by just then, its headlights bathing the parking lot in its warm light. In the few seconds it took for the car to drive by, she spotted Derek hidden amongst the shadows.

"Let's go," Stiles said, then stepped out of the Jeep.

She followed him out of the car, and the cold air greeted her. The light wind that blew decreased the temperature of the already chilly night. Moving a few strands of hair out of her eyes, she approached where Derek stood but stopped mid-step when she noticed the glare directed at her.

"What's she doing here?" Derek asked with a frown, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm helping," she said.

Derek shook his head. "No. You're staying in the car."

"Like hell I am." She moved towards them, matching his glare. For a moment, she regretted her decision in asking for his help. In hindsight, she should have expected this to be his reaction. He wasn't the easiest person to work with. "If you think I'm going to trust you alone in there, you're out of your mind."

He took a step forward and his height towered over her. "You're just going to get in the way, and I don't have the time to babysit you. _Again_."

Hollis stood her ground, refusing to let him intimidate her. "Are you serious right now?" She asked in disbelief. "I'm -"

Stiles stepped between them. "We don't have time for this," he said with a frustrated sigh and turned to Derek. "Hollis is helping. End of story."

Derek clenched his jaw tighter, then gave a single nod.

It was obvious he was unhappy with the outcome, but Hollis didn't care. This was about Isaac and Isaac alone. If Derek had a problem with it, then it was on him. She wouldn't waste another second arguing with him.

Hidden in the shadows, the three of them carefully approached the station. Though it was dark out didn't mean that they would go unnoticed. If they were caught sneaking around, their chance at saving Isaac would be even more difficult to accomplish. Aside from a few cars driving on the road, it was completely silent.

Light poured out through a few of the windows, bathing the area in a warm light. If anyone from inside looked out, someone would spot them. Hollis held her breath as she walked, careful to not make a sound.

_So far, so good_, she thought and said a silent prayer for everything to go right.

"I'm going to see how many cops are in there. There shouldn't be a lot but, you know," he whispered then peeked into the window.

"Well?" Derek asked, impatience coating his words.

"There's just one night officer at the main desk. I don't see anyone else."

Hollis let out a sigh of relief.

"Where are the keys?" Derek asked.

"The keys to every cell are in a password-protected lockbox in my dad's office."

"How are you getting in the lockbox?" she asked, hoping that Stiles had thought further ahead than breaking into the station.

"My dad's got two passwords. My birthday and my mom's birthday," he answered, then frowned.

"But?" Hollis asked hesitantly, her heart sinking at whatever obstacle stood between them.

Stiles sighed. "The problem is getting past the front desk."

Hollis nodded understandingly. She highly doubted the night officer would just let the three of them waltz into the holding cells to get Isaac.

"I'll distract her," Derek said cooly.

"Woah, woah, you? You can't go in there," Stiles protested, shaking his head.

"I was exonerated," he said matter-of-factly.

"You're still a person of interest," Stiles pointed out.

"An innocent person," Derek said.

A humorless laugh escaped her lips. "You? Yeah, right."

Derek shot a glare at her but bit back a remark. "You're not getting in there without me."

Stiles exchanged a look with Hollis.

"He has a point," she said. "We asked for his help."

"Okay. What's your plan?" Stiles asked.

"To distract her," Derek repeated.

Hollis rolled her eyes while Stiles asked, "How? By punching her in the face?"

Derek's expression hardened. "By talking to her," he drawled.

"And we're doomed," Hollis muttered.

"Oh, obviously," Stiles said in agreement. "Because when I think of diverting conversation or stimulating banter, I think of Derek Hale."

Despite the grim circumstances, Hollis couldn't help but laugh. In the few conversations she's had with him, Derek never said anything beyond a full sentence. She couldn't even picture how a whole discussion with him could go.

Unamused, Derek leveled them both with a glare.

"At least give us a sample. What are you going to open up with?" Stiles asked, to which Derek replied with a scowl.

"Dead silence. That should work beautifully," Stiles said sarcastically.

Hollis sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Any other great ideas?"

Stiles shook his head while Derek said, "I'm thinking about punching him in the face."

"What are we? Five?" Hollis rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the situation. At this rate, they would spend more time arguing than acting. Precious seconds were being wasted, probably giving the hunter the chance to catch up to them.

"One of us is," Derek muttered.

"Seriously?" Stiles asked. "You're the one who can't say a sentence beyond five words. I'm trying to make sure you don't screw this up."

Frustrated, Hollis sighed and tried her hardest to block out their bickering. It wasn't easy, and it would only be a matter of time before someone heard them. Cautiously, she looked into the station, but the night officer was submerged in her work and unaware of them lurking beneath the window. Without a word, she moved towards the front entrance.

"What are you doing?" Stiles whisper yelled.

"Sticking to the plan. If you kids want to stay out here and argue, that's your choice." She didn't give them a chance to respond and continued towards the door.

Seconds later, Stiles and Derek joined her. They entered the station but didn't go beyond the front hallway. From around the corner they observed the night officer who looked bored with her current task. She typed on the computer; the clicking of keys on the keyboard the only sound in the room. It didn't appear as if anyone else was around, which would make their job of getting in and out somewhat easier. Or at least that's what they hoped for. But given their track record, anything could (and probably would) go wrong.

"Do you really know what you're going to say?" Hollis questioned Derek.

He didn't reply. Instead, he confidently strolled up to the front desk.

"What the hell is he doing?" Stiles muttered.

Hollis held her breath as she watched Derek, who remained silent. She worried that his plan, or lack-there-of, would fail.

It took the officer a second to realize someone was standing before her. She let out a deep sigh at being interrupted, or perhaps it was at having to talk to someone. "How can I help... _you_." Mesmerized, she gazed into his eyes as Derek offered a charming smile.

Hollis and Stiles watched the silent exchange between Derek and the officer. No other words were said, but his so-called distraction had worked.

"How is that possible?" Hollis whispered in complete shock. That he literally said nothing and still distracted the officer both shocked and impressed her.

Stiles threw his hands up in defeat, just as confused at how Derek managed that. Despite how well it worked, there was no time to waste. With a gentle tug on her hand, he nodded towards his dad's office. "Let's go," he whispered.

Silently, they walked past the front desk where Derek held the officer's undivided attention. They found the office unlocked and slipped inside the dark room, quietly closing the door behind them. Any light from the hallway disappeared, plunging the room further into darkness. It was much too risky to turn on any lights so as not to draw unwanted attention. Fortunately, it didn't take long for their eyes to adjust.

"I'll keep watch," Hollis said, standing by the door. She peaked out through the blinds, happy to see that the coast remained clear.

Stiles went for the lockbox on the wall and squinted to make out the numbers on the keypad. "Hey, can you shine the flashlight on this? I can't see anything."

"What about keeping watch?" Hollis asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Just lock the door. We'll be fine," he answered.

Locking the door, she moved towards him and used the flashlight from her phone. She squinted against the bright light, then shined it on the keypad. The seconds ticked by as Stiles punched in a series of numbers into the lockbox. After a moment longer, the door opened inaudibly, and he looked over at her with a triumphant smile. But that smile disappeared as his fingers brushed against air.

"No, no, no," he muttered. "Crap."

"What's wrong?" Hollis asked, her heart rate spiking.

Stiles shook his head, unable to get the words out. "They're gone. The keys are gone."

Anxiety filled her from head to toe. "What do you mean gone?" She looked over his shoulder, and her heart sank further at the sight of the empty lockbox. Running her hand through her hair, she paced nervously around the room. "What do we do now? How is this even possible? How are we supposed to get Isaac out if -"

Stiles placed his hands on her arms, stopping her mid-step. "Hey, it'll be okay."

"How?" She looked up at him, searching his face for answers. "Derek can't keep her distracted forever, and we have no idea why the keys are missing. Or who took them."

"It's just a little setback," he told her, but his face mirrored some of her worries. "Let's just go to the holding cells and figure the rest out when we get there."

Hollis nodded, though her mind swam with every worst-case scenario possible.

It wasn't a great plan. Honestly, it wasn't a plan at all, but it was all they had. In hindsight, they should have prepared for something to go wrong. Planned for a Plan B or C but, with the time restraints, it hadn't been possible.

Hand in hand, they crept back out into the corridor and walked in the opposite direction of the front desk. Save for their footsteps, it was eerily silent for a Sheriff's station. Worry wrapped itself around her, assaulting her mind with horrible thoughts. She took several deep breaths to calm down and relieved some stress. Now was not the time to fall apart, no matter how easy it was for the fear to paralyze her. She told herself that it was possible Stiles' dad had the keys with him but knew deep down that it was highly unlikely. Someone had beat them here and was most likely in the building.

"Almost there," Stiles whispered, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Hollis nodded, trying to remain calm although she was on high alert.

"Just stay behind me in case we run into my dad or a... another cop."

_Or a hunter_, she thought grimly.

They walked in silence for the better part of a minute before coming to a stop at an intersection. Although it was quiet, Stiles motioned for her to stay put and before she could protest, he proceeded around the corner.

"Oh, hey. Sorry. I was just looking for my...," Stiles trailed off.

The silence that followed spoke volumes, frightening her. With her back against the wall, she took a deep breath before looking around the corner. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw Stiles struggling with the hunter, clearly outmatched against him. Hollis squeezed her eyes shut as her heart thundered in her chest. She fought against the anxiety that wrapped itself around her, taking deep breaths to allow some air to enter her lungs.

_Not now, please_, she thought, fighting off the panic attack as it dug its claws into her. She refused to give in to the attack, not while Stiles was in trouble. _One in, one out_, she repeated in her mind until her heart slowed its rapid beating. Relief washed over her as the attack diminished in its intensity.

Now able to focus, Hollis quickly scanned the surrounding area. There were no weapons around, to even a makeshift one. Panic nestled into her heart at not being able to help Stiles.

_Come on, think, Hollis_, she thought as the fight continued before her. There had to be something, she knew it. But, they were inside the Sheriff's station. The chances of random weapons lying around weren't likely. She let out a frustrated sigh, not willing to give up. There was the option of running out there and trying to intervene in the fight but she doubted she could inflict any damage. It would most likely make matters worse.

Her hope deflating, she was just about to give up when her eyes caught sight of the fire alarm. Without a second thought, she ran towards it and pulled the handle. The shrill alarm blared throughout the station while the emergency lights flash above, bathing the station in an eerie, red glow.

The hunter froze and looked around in confusion at the sudden change. He snapped out of his stupor a moment later, as if remembering why he was here. Shoving Stiles to the floor, he took off towards the holding cells.

"Are you okay?" Hollis asked, dropping onto the floor beside him. She looked him over for any injuries and sighed with relief when she didn't see any.

He nodded. "That was quick thinking. Thanks."

"I'm just glad that it worked," she said, then frowned. "I-I honestly didn't know what to do. I was so scared he would hurt you."

Stiles placed a kiss to the top of her head and pulled her into a hug. "I'm okay. A little bruised, but okay."

Hollis sighed, melting into the hug. She relaxed for a moment, allowing her rapidly beating heart to return to a somewhat normal pace. But she knew they weren't out of danger yet and had a way to go. She pulled out of the grasp, her eyes landing on the room that held the holding cells. "We still need to help Isaac."

Stiles nodded, then stood up, pulling her up with him.

Together, they ran towards the holding cells. When they entered the room, they stepped into the middle of a battlefield. Isaac, fully transformed, was out of his cell. With his fangs bared, he lunged at the hunter while the hunter attempted to stab him with the syringe. The hunter held his own against the young werewolf, but barely. The rage and fear that Isaac felt made him dangerous and unpredictable.

"What do we do?!" Hollis asked, panic coating her words as she watched the fight intensify.

"Try not to get hit?" Stiles suggested, which earned him a disapproving look from Hollis.

"We have to help Isaac. Or at least get the syringe away from the hunter," she said but, as she looked at the two fighters, knew it would be near impossible. "Maybe we can somehow get the hunter into the holding cell?" She stepped further into the room, being careful so as not to get in the way.

"It's not going to work," Stiles said as the fight moved dangerously close to them.

They scrambled back until they hit the wall. No matter which direction they moved, they would end up in the middle of the fight. There was nowhere to go.

Stiles pulled her to his side in hopes of keeping her out of harm's way. "We're stuck," he said with a sigh.

She nodded, knowing he was right. Trying to stop the fight would only result in them getting injured, so they had no choice but to watch while the fight raged on. Isaac held his own, his reflexes were quick as he avoided all the hunters strikes. With unimaginable strength, Isaac grabbed hold of the hunter and slammed his head into the drywall. The sound of the crack reverberated around the room despite the blaring of the alarm. Like a rag-doll, the hunter collapsed onto the ground. Unconscious. The syringe, filled with a dark liquid, rolled away from the hunter's outstretched hand.

Hollis made a move towards the needle but, before she could grab it, a black boot crushed it into nothing but broken glass.

Derek looked up from the broken vial, his red eyes piercing them in the dimly it room.

Relief washed over her at seeing him, though she wondered why it took him so long. "It's about time you got here." She took a step forward, but that one movement was enough to get Isaac's undivided attention.

"Hollis!" Stiles yelled, his voice laced with fear. "Watch out!"

Hollis turned her head just in time to catch sight of Isaac. Her eyes widened in fear at the murderous look on his face. She put her hands up in front of her to show that she meant him no harm. "Isaac," she whispered slowly, her voice shaking. "I'm not going to hurt you. Y-You're okay."

Her words didn't faze him. His attention didn't waver once from her; neither did his apparent desire to kill her.

"Please. You don't want to do this," she said but knew that her words fell on deaf ears.

With his eyes locked on her, a low growl escaped Isaac's throat before he lunged forward.

Time seemed to slow down altogether, everything moving in slow motion. The fear that coursed through her froze her in place, and a scream stuck in her throat. There was nothing that Hollis could use to protect herself. Nothing that she could do at all. The only option she had was to wait for the inevitable and hope that it would be quick and painless. She closed her eyes and shielded her face with her arms, though it would do little to protect her.

A dark shadow fell over her, but nothing happened. No sharp pain, no force knocking her to the ground. Nothing. She inched her eyes open to see Derek blocking her from harm's way. Derek focused his gaze on Isaac and let out a powerful roar that shook the entire building.

Instantly, Isaac dropped to the ground and cowered back against the wall. His arms over his head, he lowered them shakily to look at them all. He was no longer the dangerous predator from before, but a confused and frightened teenager.

"How'd do that?" Stiles asked while he pulled Hollis into his arms.

Derek looked over his shoulders, a grin on his face. "I'm the Alpha."

Her heartbeat slowed some now that the danger had passed. She couldn't believe how close she had come to getting hurt...or worse. If Isaac hadn't killed her, then a deep scratch or bite surely would have turned her. The thought alone terrified her. Her life was complicated enough with just being involved in the supernatural, let alone living out her life as a werewolf. "Thank you," Hollis said, leaning into Stiles.

"Guess I had to babysit you after all," Derek said with a smirk.

Hollis fought the urge to roll her eyes. "So, what happens next?"

Derek redirected his attention toward Isaac. "Now we disappear."

"Wh-what? N-no, I can't..." Isaac shook his head, unable to get the words out.

Frustrated, Derek pointed at the unconscious hunter. "There are more of them out there and they _will_ kill you when they catch you."

Isaac remained silent, struggling internally with what to do.

Hollis couldn't blame him. She understood all too well how difficult it was to process everything. Save for being a werewolf, she had been in the same position. It was a difficult world to enter. One that held more questions than answers. To this day, she still struggled with how any of this was possible. For Isaac, the change had happened in less than a week: from losing a parent to being arrested for murder, to being turned into a werewolf. She couldn't imagine how terrifying all of this was. At least she had been given time to process everything and had her friends by her side. Isaac had been alone throughout it all.

"You have to go. Your life's on the line here. Literally," Stiles said.

"That's not helping, you guys," she said with a frown.

"Yeah well, we didn't go through all of this just for him to get locked back up!"

"No, I know, but...," she trailed off with a shrug. "His life literally got turned upside down. I'm not surprised he's reluctant to trust us."

Stiles sighed exasperatedly at the indecisiveness. "Hollis, we don't exactly have the time for him to think about it. Either he goes with Derek or he's on his own and all of this was for nothing."

Hollis ran a hand through her hair, understanding the gravity of the situation. Her mind reeled from the situation. With a sigh, she turned towards Isaac. "Derek and Stiles are right," she told him gently. "I know everything is super scary and confusing right now but, I promise that if you go with Derek, he'll help you. With all of it."

Isaac glanced up at her, the worry clear on his face. "Promise?"

Hollis nodded with a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I promise. He'll keep you safe, but you need to go like right now. Before anyone else comes."

Isaac agreed, albeit with some hesitation. He stood up and brushed off the dirt and dust from his clothes. "Okay, I'll go," he said, though he still regarded them with some caution. When his eyes landed on Hollis, he nodded. "Thank you."

She smiled with a small nod. "Of course. Be safe."

Derek clasped Isaac on the shoulder, then pulled him towards the exit. He paused at the door to look over his shoulder. "You two should leave, too."

"We will," Stiles said.

Just like that, Derek and Isaac were gone. The whole nightmare of an evening was finally behind them. Considering all the obstacles and near-death experiences that had stood in their way from the get-go, it was a shock that they had succeeded. Their makeshift plan had been anything but good, but the goal had been to help Isaac. As of now, he was safe.

"We did it," Hollis said with a laugh, throwing her arms around Stiles. "We actually did it!"

"Yeah, we did." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "I actually didn't think that this would work. Like, at all," he admitted sheepishly.

She tilted her head to the side and looked up at him. "I thought you were confident that this was the best plan ever."

Stiles laughed, shaking his head. "Nope. Not at all"

Hollis rolled her eyes but smiled. She placed a kiss to his lips then stood back, surveying the surrounding mess. There was evidence of a struggle as the tiled floor was littered with the broken drywall. The hunter, still unconscious, lay face down on the floor.

"What do we do about him?" She asked, nodding towards the hunter.

"Leave him. Let the cops deal with him," he answered.

Hollis considered his words, then nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. We should probably get out of here."

As if sensing their desire to leave, the blaring alarm turned off, and the lights returned to normal. The silence was deafening, the brightness of the fluorescent lighting hard to adjust to.

"Does the alarm turn off automatically?" Hollis questioned though knew if that was the case, then it would have turned off a lot sooner.

"No," he answered with a shake of his head. "Which means we've got company."

No sooner had the words been spoken than Sheriff Stilinski entered the room. He scanned the room to find the holding cell opened and empty, an unconscious man lying on the floor with Stiles and Hollis in the middle of it. He sighed, running a hand over his face at the long night that awaited him.

"Uh...," Stiles started then looked towards Hollis for help but she only shrugged, at a loss for words. "He did it," he said, pointing towards the hunter.

The Sheriff put a hand up to stop him from going further. "I don't want to hear it," he said, the exhaustion apparent in his voice. "Just get out of here. Both of you."

Stiles gave a quick nod, then pulled Hollis towards the door.

As they passed by him, he reached a hand out to stop Stiles. "But you and I will have one hell of a conversation later."

**hey. hi. hello.**

Right now, the world is in the midst of a pandemic. It's very scary out there right now so I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. A lot of us are in lockdown + quarantine right now, myself included. I do want everyone to take this seriously. Maintain social distancing and try to refrain from going out unless you're in need of supplies (food, water, etc.). Protect yourself and your loved ones. It's a necessary sacrifice we all have to make if we want to get out of this without any more casualties. If you or someone close to you is fighting this horrible virus, I'm sending you my love and wishing you for a quick recovery. If anyone wants to talk, I'm here so don't hesitate to reach out to send me a message.

With that said, I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. This writer's block has been with me for the better part of a year, and I couldn't shake it off. I'm still not 100% happy with my writing this time around (the last several chapters were much better, in my opinion). But I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! I'll do my absolute best to keep writing and updating quicker.

Thank you for reading. Please leave your comments below. I want to know your thoughts, critiques, ideas. What do you think will happen between Hollis + Isaac? Will they be friends now that she helped him?

I love you all. Stay safe.


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